North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile

The South Korean military announced that North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, marking the latest in a series of weapon tests conducted by the nuclear-armed state. In a military statement, it was reported that the missile, fired from the Dongchang-ri site on the western coast, traveled 800 kilometers before hitting a target. South Korea condemned the recent series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, labeling them a "clear violation" of a United Nations Security Council resolution. The launches also drew criticism from Japan and the United States. In the same context, Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino stated in a press conference that North Korea's behavior threatens international peace and security and is unacceptable, adding that Japan strongly protested through North Korea's embassy in Beijing. The U.S. military command in the Indo-Pacific region stated in a report that the missile launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or their allies but added that the recent missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of North Korea's illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. North Korea had announced that it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile "to instill fear in the hearts of its enemies."