North Korea fired another unidentified projectile on Saturday, South Korea’s military said. Japan is also reporting the launch. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, it may be a ballistic missile. The projectile would have been fired from a submarine around 07:07 Dutch time and ended up in the sea.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi spoke on Saturday of an “unacceptable threat to the international community”. According to South Korean media, the government has convened the National Security Council there in response to the new test.
This would be the 15th major missile test in North Korea this year. The tests are seen as a provocation by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who last week warned that his nuclear arsenal could launch preemptive strikes against hostile forces.
The most recent missile test was Wednesday. The United States subsequently reported that North Korea is preparing to also conduct a nuclear test at the nuclear weapons testing site in Punggye-ri. According to the US, such a test could take place as early as this month. Kishi repeated this warning on Saturday. According to the minister, more “provocative acts” by North Korea should be taken into account. North Korea’s last nuclear test was in 2017.
South Korea’s new president Yoon Suk-yeol will be inaugurated on Tuesday. He has promised to be much tougher against North Korea. US President Joe Biden will visit South Korea later this month. On May 21, he has a meeting with his future colleague.
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