Pyongyang: Japan’s defence ministry issued an alert after North Korea launched what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Sunday. The missile landed in the sea just outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
South Korea’s defense ministry said that the rival North had fired an unidentified projectile that in the sea to the east of the Korean Peninsula, as reported by Reuters.
On Saturday, Pyongyang had dismissed a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog against the country’s nuclear programme. It had done so by issuing a statement through state media.
North Korea had also condemned a US-led naval drill including South Korea and Japan that was held between August 29 and September 10 near Guam. Pyongyang had spoken out against this drill last week.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Friday, blamed US-led military drills for “ever-worsening” tensions on the Korean Peninsula and vowed no change in the country’s course to strengthen its nuclear arsenal.
Following the report of the short-range ballistic missile launch from the Wonsan area of North Korean on Sunday, South Korea’s presidential office convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting.
The NSC condemned the launch and urged Pyongyang to immediately cease missile activity, warning that the test directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.
North Korea had conducted another test on September 12. Unlike other countries, it does not issue any notices before carrying out tests, making them extremely risky for shipping activity in the region.