North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Sea of Japan on Thursday, hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Tokyo, the military said in Seoul.
“Our military detected a long-range ballistic missile fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Washington and Seoul have strengthened their defense cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from North Korea, which has ramped up weapons tests in recent months.
Third release this week
This new show of force comes a few hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is due to visit Tokyo to address in particular the issue of North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs, and at a time when that Seoul and Washington are carrying out military maneuvers that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for an invasion of its territory.
The South Korean military said North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday, its first launch since the start of the biggest US-South Korea exercise in five years dubbed “Shield of Freedom.”
On Sunday, Pyongyang also fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine.
On rare occasions, the South Korean military revealed in early March that special forces from Washington and Seoul would stage “Teak Knife” military exercises (involving simulated precision strikes on key facilities in North Korea) ahead of “Freedom Shield”.
The “Shield of Freedom” exercises focus on “the changing security environment” due to increased North Korean aggressiveness, the allies said.
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Source: BFM TV
