North Korea on Friday fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, South Korea's military said, the latest in a burst of tests as talks with Washington and Seoul remain stalled.
Missile Flew 700 Kilometers From Inland Launch
As per an Associated Press report, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile, launched from an inland site near the western county of Taekwan, flew about 700 kilometers (434 miles) across the country before splashing down.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies monitored launch preparations in advance and are analyzing the flight and performance data, the Joint Chiefs said. Seoul's military added that it has heightened surveillance and vigilance for possible additional launches and is sharing information in real time with the United States and Japan.
In Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the missile was believed to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and likely caused no damage.
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Tests Include Hypersonic And Cruise Missiles
The firing extends a run of testing that regional officials say has accelerated in recent weeks. Pyongyang last month announced launches of purported hypersonic and cruise missiles it claims broaden its nuclear-armed arsenal's capabilities, while South Korea's military reported the North fired 10 rounds of artillery into western waters on Monday as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began a two-day visit.
Reuters on Monday reported Hegseth toured the Demilitarized Zone this week ahead of defense talks focused in part on North Korea.
Diplomacy Frozen Since Talks Collapsed In 2019
Diplomacy between North Korea and the U.S. has been frozen since 2019, when negotiations between Kim Jong Un and then-President Donald Trump collapsed over how to trade sanctions relief for steps toward dismantling the North's nuclear program. Kim has since pressed Washington to drop demands that the North give up its arsenal as a precondition for talks and recently ignored Trump's offer to meet during the U.S. president's visit to South Korea last week.
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