N Korea launches missile into sea amid US-S Korea drills

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the ocean on Sunday, its neighbors stated, ramping up testing actions in response to U.S.-South Korean army drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

The missile launched from the North’s northwestern area flew throughout the nation earlier than it landed within the waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Employees stated in a press release.

It stated South Korea’s army has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in shut coordination with the US.

Japan’s Protection Ministry stated a suspected North Korean missile was launched on Sunday morning. It stated the suspected weapon landed exterior Japan’s unique financial zone. There have been no fast stories of injury within the space.

The launch was the North’s third spherical of weapons exams for the reason that U.S. and South Korean militaries started their joint army drills final Monday.

The most recent U.S.-South Korean drills, which embrace pc simulations and discipline workouts, are to proceed till Thursday. The sphere workouts are the most important of their type since 2018.

The North views such U.S.-South Korean army drills as a apply to launch an invasion, although Washington and Seoul have steadfastly stated their coaching is defensive in nature.

The weapons North Korea just lately examined embrace its longest-range Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. mainland. The North’s state media quoted chief Kim Jong Un as saying the ICBM launch was meant to “strike worry into the enemies.”

A day earlier than the beginning of the drills, North Korea additionally fired cruise missiles from a submarine. The North’s state media stated the submarine-launched missile was an illustration of its resolve to reply with “overwhelming highly effective” pressure to the intensifying army maneuvers by “the U.S. imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces.”

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Related Press author Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.