North Korea launches short-range ballistic missile into Sea of Japan, South Korean military

[Seoul Current Affairs] According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, a short-range ballistic missile was launched from the Wonsan area of ​​Gangwon Province in eastern North Korea toward the Sea of ​​Japan at around 3:00 pm (Japan time) on the 20th. Japan's Ministry of Defense announced that a possible ballistic missile was launched at around 6 p.m. on the same day. Both are estimated to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

North Korea's firepower training; missile launch on the 12th was part of it?

According to the ministry, the missile flew approximately 440 kilometers at a maximum altitude of approximately 60 kilometers at around 3 p.m. No damage to ships or aircraft has been confirmed.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters, ``The ballistic missile launch violates the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and is a serious issue concerning the safety of the people.'' It was announced that they had lodged a strong protest with North Korea through the embassy in Beijing.

In a statement on the 17th, North Korean General Affairs Minister Kim Yo Jong criticized the ``Pacific Vanguard'' joint exercise that the United States recently conducted with Japan, South Korea, and other countries around the island of Guam. He suggested that he would take countermeasures, saying that the situation in the region was worsening.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of ​​Japan on the 12th. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the Korean People's Army conducted a "joint firepower assault training" on the same day using various attack drones and strategic cruise missiles.