North Korea is at it again. It has fired at least one suspected ballistic missile towards the sea to the east of the Korean peninsula on Saturday, militaries in the region said.
It is its ninth missile test of the year. This test has come just days before the South Korea’s presidential election.
The launch appeared to have involved a suspected ballistic missile, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the office of Japan’s Prime Minister said.
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The Saturday’s launch came from a location near Sunan, where Pyongyang’s international airport is located, the South Korean military said.
Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said, “This launch comes at a time when international society is dealing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and also when the Beijing Paralympics is being held… and it is not acceptable.”
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“The significant pace at which North Korea is developing its missile-launching technology is not something our country and the surrounding regions can overlook,” Kishi added.
The North Korean projectile reached a height of 550 kilometres (340 miles) and flew a distance of 300 kilometres (190 miles), Kishi further added.
South Korea’s National Security Council will hold an emergency meeting, the presidential Blue House said.
(With inputs from agencies)
