North Korea has test-fired another ballistic missile into the sea, South Korea’s defence military says.
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The recent tests, which violate UN Security Council resolutions, are believed to be the North’s way of retaliating against a USA decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to South Korea.
In June, after what appeared to be several failed launches, North Korea sent a mid-range missile more than 1,400km into the atmosphere, indicating it had made progress in its abilities to strike U.S. targets in the region, according to analysts.
Following the missile launch, Japan’s government submitted a protest to North Korea through its diplomatic ties in Beijing.
The command’s statement said initial indications reveal one of the missiles exploded immediately after launch, while the second was tracked over North Korea and into the Sea of Japan.
The missile launch comes after the North fired off two Rodong missiles and a shorter-range Scud missile on July 19.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 3rd Meeting of Activists in Fisheries under the Korean People’s Army (KPA) in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 29, 2015.
North Korea also has ratcheted up its propaganda campaign ahead of annual U.S.-South Korea war games planned for later this month, which it considers a rehearsal for an invasion.
U.S. Navy Commander Gary Ross condemned the missile test and said Washington was “prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation”.
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani ordered the country’s Self-Defence Forces Wednesday to devote themselves to information gathering and surveillance in the wake of the launch.
Last week, North Korea’s newly appointed foreign minister, Ri Yong-Ho, said any decision to conduct another nuclear test would depend on the behaviour of the United States.
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Though the country has continued to improve its nuclear and missile capabilities, it has yet to successfully pair the two.
