South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Japanese Coast Guard reported on Wednesday that North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile off its eastern coast, just hours before an anticipated meeting between leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia. No details have been released about the size or range of the missile so far, but about five minutes after the launch warning, the Japanese Coast Guard reported the missile's fall.
Nuclear-armed North Korea has been conducting launches of various types of projectiles, ranging from short-range missiles and cruise missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the United States. All of North Korea's activities related to ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons are prohibited under United Nations Security Council resolutions, the latest of which was passed with the support of North Korea's partners, China and Russia, in 2017. Since then, Beijing and Moscow have called for easing sanctions on North Korea to support diplomatic talks and improve the humanitarian situation.
