South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that North Korea fired at least one unidentified projectile into the Sea of Japan.
In a statement cited by South Korean news agency Yonhap, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not say whether the projectile was a ballistic missile or how far it traveled.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also confirmed this Saturday the launch of a possible ballistic missile by North Korea, stating that the projectile had already fallen into the sea.
“North Korea launched what could be a ballistic missile. We will inform you as soon as we have more information,” the ministry wrote on the social network.
The launch took place during annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, involving thousands of troops, at a time when Washington is also stepping up the war against Iran.
The Pyongyang regime views the exercises as rehearsals for an invasion of the North and often uses them as a pretext to carry out military demonstrations or weapons tests.
On Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, criticized Washington and Seoul for proceeding with the exercises at a dangerous time for global security, and warned that any challenge to North Korea’s security would bring “terrible consequences.”
The 11-day Freedom Shield exercise runs through March 19, and is one of two annual command post exercises conducted by the United States and South Korean armed forces.
The exercises, largely computer simulated, are designed to test allies’ joint operational capabilities, incorporating constantly evolving war scenarios and security challenges.
North Korea has repeatedly rejected calls from Washington and Seoul to resume diplomacy aimed at ending the country’s nuclear program.
Negotiations were interrupted in 2019, after the failure of Kim Jong-un’s second summit with US President Donald Trump during his first term.
Kim Jong-un has made Russia North Korea’s foreign policy priority, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.
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