North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea, said the South Korean military on Thursday (March 9). The missile landed in the western waters of the Korean peninsula. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the ballistic missile was fired from an area around the western coastal city of Nampo.
South Korea detected the missile launch at 0920 GMT.
The latest missile test has come just when tensions in the Korean peninsula have soared to a high not seen in decades. Nuclear-armed North Korea has carried out unprecedented number of missile test over the last year. The launch has also taken place just when the US and South Korea are preparing to hold joint drills which will be largest in five years.
Last year, Kim Jong Un’s regime declared North Korea an “irreversible” nuclear power and vowed to exponentially increase weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons, as the US looks to move more assets to the region to defend ally Seoul.
North Korea has long claimed its nuclear weapons and missile programmes are for self-defence, and has bristled over US-South Korea military exercises, describing them as rehearsals for an invasion.
Earlier this week, North Korea accused the US of “intentionally” ramping up tensions, and Kim’s powerful sister warned that if the US were to intercept one of Pyongyang’s missile tests, it would be seen as a “clear declaration of war”.
The US and South Korea will hold the military drills this month
Ahead of those exercises, named “Freedom Shield” and scheduled for at least 10 days starting March 13, the allies held air drills this week featuring a nuclear-capable US B-52 heavy bomber.
(With inputs from agencies)
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