North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile off South Korea's Coast

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported today, Wednesday, that "North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its eastern coast." The launch follows North Korea accusing the United States of violating its airspace in economic zones with spy planes and the recent arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated, "The missile flew for 74 minutes at an altitude of 6,000 kilometers with a range of 1,000 kilometers, which would represent the longest flight time of a North Korean missile." The White House condemned the missile launch, stating it would take all necessary measures to ensure the security of its country as well as South Korea and Japan. National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement, "The door to diplomacy is not closed, but Pyongyang must immediately stop its destabilizing actions and choose diplomatic communication instead." South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently in Lithuania for a NATO summit, held an emergency national security council meeting and pledged to use the summit to urge stronger international solidarity against these threats. Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held separate talks and strongly condemned the missile launch as a blatant violation of several United Nations resolutions and a dangerous provocation that escalates violence. Kishida stated, "The missile launch threatens peace and stability in the region and beyond, necessitating closer cooperation between the two neighboring countries and the United States." Japan indicated that the missile fell into the sea to the east of the Korean Peninsula, approximately 250 kilometers west of Okushiri Island, located north of Japan.