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Japan’s defense ministry said the missile landed in the Sea of Japan and there have been no reports of damage yet.
North Korea launched three short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. This is the latest launch in a year that has seen an unprecedented barrage of missile tests by increasingly militant Pyongyang.
Japan’s defense ministry said the first ballistic missile was launched on Saturday morning shortly after 8:00 am local time (23:00 GMT) and the second at around 8:14 am (23:14 GMT). , and a third missile took off. 1 minute later.
All three missiles were launched from outside the capital Pyongyang, reached an altitude of 100km (62 miles) and flew an estimated 350km (217 miles).
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and media outlets, the missile landed in the Sea of Japan, but fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, a body of water that extends approximately 370 kilometers (200 nautical miles) from Japan’s coastline.
The ministry said warning information had been provided to aircraft and ships in the vicinity of the missile’s flight path, but no incidents had been reported “at this time.”
North Korea launched at least two apparent ballistic missiles on Saturday, the final day of 2022, after a record-breaking year of launches. https://t.co/jHx3rdRihR
—The Japan Times (@japantimes) December 30, 2022
“North Korea’s series of actions, including repeated ballistic missile launches, threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community. ‘,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the missile launch by North Korea and said the North Korean military was monitoring the situation.
“Our military maintains full readiness while working closely with the United States and enhancing surveillance and vigilance,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Saturday’s launch was in addition to a tally of about 70 ballistic missiles (including about eight intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)) launched by North Korea over the year, which would mark the end of the nuclear-armed Pyongyang. This is due to the official announcement of plans to modernize military capabilities. The response has been provocations by South Korea and its key ally the United States.
Saturday’s launch also comes just days after North Korea allegedly flew a drone into South Korean airspace for the first time since 2017, prompting Seoul to deploy fighter jets and helicopters to shoot down the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The South Korean military later apologized for its failure to shoot down the drones, and President Yoon Seok-yeol has since called for stronger air defense systems and high-tech stealth drones to better monitor North Korea. ing.
