N.Korea fires ballistic missile amid S.Korea inauguration

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, about a week after Pyongyang vowed to develop its nuclear forces at the fastest possible speed, South Korea and Japan said.

The launch, the North’s 14th round of weapons firing this year, also came six days before a new conservative South Korean president takes office for a single five-year term.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, “It had detected the launch about noon in Sunan area of Pyongyang, where an international airport is located and from which North Korea said it fired its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-17, on March 24.

“The missile flew for about 470km (292 miles) to a maximum altitude of 780km (485 miles).

“A recent series of North Korea’s ballistic missile launches poses a grave threat to peace and stability of not only the Korean peninsula but also the international community,” the JCS added.

Japan’s Coast Guard also reported a suspected ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

Tokyo’s deputy defence minister Makoto Oniki put the missile’s range at 500km (311 miles) and its maximum altitude at 800km (497 miles).

He said the ministry was still analysing the data to determine what type of missile it was.

“North Korea’s recent action, including frequent missile launches, cannot be tolerated, as it poses a threat to security and safety of the region and international community,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mentioned.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to speed up the development of his country’s nuclear arsenal while overseeing a huge military parade as denuclearisation talks with the United States remain stalled.
Reuters