North Korea fires ballistic missile – Kim Yo Jong rejects South Korean demand

North Korea has fired another ballistic missile into the sea, according to South Korea and Japan. The missile launch came shortly after Kim Jong Un's sister made a harsh statement against South Korea.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (archive): She rejects Seoul's demand for an apology for the use of North Korean mines. Photo: AP

Seoul. According to South Korean and Japanese sources, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday morning. The South Korean military said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area at around 6:30 a.m. (local time). The Japanese Coast Guard said it was believed to be a ballistic missile that appeared to have fallen and warned shipping in the area.

The South Korean presidential office called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council after the missile launch. The South Korean military said it had increased its surveillance for further possible missile tests and would share intelligence with the United States and Japan.

Before the rocket launch, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of ruler Kim Jong Un, released a statement. In it, she rejected Seoul's demand for an apology for the use of North Korean mines. Two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured by the mines during a reconnaissance mission in the demilitarized zone.

The Demilitarized Zone is a heavily fortified, four-kilometer-wide border area between the two Korean states. North Korea has significantly increased its hostile attitude towards the South in recent years. The government in Pyongyang has abandoned reunification as a national goal and calls South Korea its "main enemy."

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