Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with reporters following a report on the firing of an unidentified projectile by North Korea in Tokyo on December 5, 2022.
Highlight
- North Korea fired suspected missiles into its eastern waters on Wednesday
- This is the first such launch in nearly two months amid long dormant international diplomacy.
- The launch comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further increase his military capability
North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into its eastern waters on Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese forces said, the first such launch in nearly two months amid long-dormant international diplomacy over the North’s nuclear program.
The latest launch comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further increase his military capability at a high-profile ruling party conference last week.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday morning. It said South Korean and US intelligence officials are trying to analyze more information about the launch.
The Japanese Defense Ministry also traced the North Korean launch, saying the country may have fired a missile.
“We find it really regrettable that North Korea has continued to fire missiles since last year,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
Kishida said other details about the North Korean launch were not immediately available, including where the suspected missile landed and whether there was any damage. He said he ordered officials to confirm the safety of ships and aircraft in the area where the suspected missile was likely to take off and fall.
Wednesday’s launch is the first such shootout since North Korea tested a series of newly developed weapons between September and November, including nuclear-capable missiles that hit both major US allies, South Korea and Japan, at striking distance. keep it inside. Some experts said North Korea was putting more pressure on its rivals to acknowledge it as a nuclear-powered country and ease international sanctions on the country.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said it is ready to resume nuclear diplomacy with North Korea “anywhere and at any time” without any preconditions. The North has so far rejected such proposals, saying US hostility remains unchanged.
US-led diplomacy aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program collapsed in 2019, as North Korea should be given sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling its main nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization move. needed. Kim has since threatened to increase his nuclear and missile arsenal.
During last week’s plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee, Kim reiterated his pledge to boost his country’s military capability and ordered production of more powerful, sophisticated weapons systems. State media dispatches on the meeting said that North Korea set “strategic directions” for North Korea’s external relations with South Korea, but did not elaborate. It made no mention of the United States.’
Last month, Kim completed 10 years in power. Since taking power in December 2011 following the death of his father and longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un has established absolute power at home and bolstered his nuclear and missile arsenal. But his country’s economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, UN sanctions and mismanagement, though some experts question his grip on power.
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