North Korea Tests Missile Ahead of US-South Korea Drills
Tokyo said the suspected ballistic missile was launched toward Japan and likely landed just outside its exclusive economic zone.
North Korea launched a ballistic missile from its east coast towards Japan early Wednesday morning, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff. This marks the second such test in less than a week, with military officials estimating the missile fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi denounced the launch as a threat to regional peace and security, expressing strong protest to North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan are currently jointly analyzing the incident, with Japan's Prime Minister instructing his country to maintain a state of readiness. No damage has been confirmed. The missile launch comes only days before the U.S.-South Korea joint military drills, set to begin on August 17. North Korea has consistently condemned these drills, often responding with missile tests.
North Korea expert Lim Eul-chul believes Pyongyang is closely monitoring the upcoming drills and may stage a provocation if deemed necessary.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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