According to information from Seoul, North Korea fired another ballistic missile into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula on Sunday. "Our military has detected a short-range missile" that was launched at 11:05 a.m. (local time, 03:05 a.m. CET) from North Pyongan province, South Korea's General Staff said. Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed that a "possible ballistic missile" had been fired by North Korea.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff assured that "our military, in close cooperation with the United States, maintains full readiness."
Japan's coast guard warned ships of what "appears to be a ballistic missile fired by North Korea." However, the bullet seemed to have "already crashed," it said.
Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have recently intensified drastically. The communist leadership in Pyongyang repeatedly threatens a military escalation in the region. In the face of North Korea's ongoing provocations, South Korea and the United States have stepped up their defense cooperation.
On Monday, the United States and South Korea launched their largest joint military exercises in five years. They described the ten-day "Freedom Shield" exercise as a response to the "changed security environment" in the region as a result of North Korea's increased aggression in recent months. The exercises are expected to continue until Thursday.
North Korea warns of 'unforgivable red line'
North Korea had strongly criticized the maneuver. Shortly before the start of the exercises and on Tuesday, Pyongyang had already tested several missiles. On Wednesday, North Korea fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. This is Pyongyang's largest and most powerful projectile. It was the second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this year.
The official North Korean news agency KCNA had warned on Saturday before the latest test, the maneuvers approached an "unforgivable red line".
Pyongyang views the maneuvers as preparation for an invasion of North Korea and has repeatedly threatened "overwhelming measures." Last year, leader Kim Jong-un declared his internationally isolated country an "irreversible nuclear power". Earlier this month, he also instructed the military to step up its maneuvers in preparation for a "real war."