Seoul, South Korea –
South Korea’s military said North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the waters east of North Korea on Saturday morning.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not give further details about the launch, such as the specific type of weapon Pyongyang launched or the distance it traveled.
This is the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea this year. Some experts say North Korea is looking to modernize its arsenal and increase leverage in future dealings with the United States.
Saturday’s launch comes five days after North Korea allegedly flew a drone into South Korean airspace for the first time since 2017.
On Monday, the South Korean military fired warning shots and launched warplanes and helicopters, after detecting what it called five North Korean drones that violated South Korean airspace. South Korea also flew three drones across the border in response, Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup told lawmakers on Wednesday.
The military apologized for not being able to shoot down the drones and President Yoon Suk Yeol called for increased air defense systems and high-tech stealth drones to better monitor North Korea.
In a meeting with his advisers on Wednesday, Yoon said South Korea must resolutely retaliate against any provocation by North Korea, saying it would be the most powerful measure to deter North Korea. . Yoon also said South Korea must not be intimidated by North Korea’s nuclear weapons, according to his spokesman, Kim Eun-hye.
