North Korea on Tuesday launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan, Seoul and Tokyo said, a significant escalation as Pyongyang ramps up its record-breaking weapons test blitz.
The last time North Korea fired a missile over Japan was reportedly in 2017, at the height of a period of “fire and anger” when Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un exchanged insults with then-US President Donald Trump.
South Korea’s military said it had “detected a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile fired from the Mupyong-ri area of ??Jagang province around 7:23 a.m. (22:23 GMT) today and flying eastward over Japan.”
In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military is “maintaining a full preparedness and working closely with the United States while strengthening surveillance and vigilance.”
Tokyo also confirmed Pyongyang’s launch of a suspected ballistic missile, activated the country’s missile warning system and issued evacuation warnings.
“It is believed that a ballistic missile passed over our country and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. This is an act of violence following repeated launches of ballistic missiles in recent times. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms,” ??Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
With talks long stalled, nuclear-armed North Korea has doubled down on Kim’s military modernization plans this year and tested a range of banned weapons, including an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.
Last week, Pyongyang fired four short-range ballistic missiles, including just hours after US Vice President Kamala Harris flew out of Seoul.
Pyongyang’s latest bout of intense weapons testing comes as Seoul, Tokyo and Washington conduct joint military exercises to counter growing threats from the north.
South Korea, Japan and the United States on Friday held anti-submarine drills – the first in five years – just days after the Washington and Seoul navies conducted large-scale drills in waters off the peninsula.
Such drills infuriate North Korea, which sees them as rehearsals for an invasion.
Harris toured the heavily fortified demilitarized zone dividing the peninsula during a trip aimed at underscoring her country’s “iron-clad” commitment to defending South Korea against the North.
Washington has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to protect it from the north.
– Significant escalation –
“If Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan, it would represent a significant escalation from recent provocations,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“Pyongyang is still in the middle of a cycle of provocation and testing,” he said.
“The Kim regime is developing weapons such as tactical nuclear warheads and submarine-launched ballistic missiles as part of a long-term strategy to overtake South Korea in an arms race and drive wedges among US allies,” he added.
South Korean and US officials have also been warning for months that Kim is preparing for another nuclear test.
Officials said they believe it could happen soon after China’s upcoming Oct. 16 party congress.
North Korea, under multiple UN sanctions over its weapons programs, typically seeks to maximize the geopolitical impact of its tests through careful timing.
The isolated country has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006, most recently in 2017.
