The firing of a new model of ballistic missile by North Korea triggered a scare in northern Japan.
On Thursday, there was a firing of what might have been a new model of a ballistic missile by North Korea. Reports from South Korea say that this created a triggering scare where, despite no danger, residents were asked to take shelter in the northern parts of Japan. According to the South Korean military, the missile flew around 1000km and is being called a grave provocation.
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Reports from the Yonhap news agency of South Korea say that the maximum altitude of the missile has not been disclosed but appears to have been less than 3,000km. This is far below the heights of previous years tests, which were nearly 6,000km.
North Korea is building more solid-fuel missiles is in works by North Korea. These types of missiles are convenient in terms of storage and transport and do not require warning or preparation time before they can be launched. While North Korea has tested short-range missiles of those types, they have yet to test long-range versions of the same, said Bruce Bennett, who is a senior defence analyst at the RAND Corporation, which is a US-based company.
The exact timing of the missile being fired is said to be 7:23 AM from near the Pyongyang region. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea report that the missile could have been launched from an international airport near the capital, judging from the region from which it was launched. This has been a major site for the test firing of large missiles since the year 2017.
Panic in Japan over North Korea’s firing of ballistic missiles
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, has called for a National Security Council meeting with respect to this launch. The defence minister, Yasukazu Hamada, responded that the missile seems to have been fired at a high angle towards the east, which is the reason that it did not fall in Japanese territory. The projectile fell into the sea towards the east of North Korea, according to the Japanese coast guard. The defence minister could not confirm if the missile had breached the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Japan.
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for “more practical and offensive” strengthening of war deterrence just days before the launch. This was said by North Korea with respect to what were termed moves of aggression by the US.
The US calls for diplomatic talks.
The United States has condemned the latest string of missile firings by North Korea, but despite this, it has renewed its offers for open diplomatic talks. The spokesperson for the United States National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, gave the statement that it has not closed the door on diplomacy, provided that Pyongyang cease its destabilising actions immediately and opt for diplomatic engagement.
The United States and South Korean forces have been involved in a series of joint military exercises recently. North Korea has been critical of this move, considering it an escalation of tensions between the countries. This has led to an increase in the number of weapons tests by North Korea.
