SEOUL: North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its east coast towards Japan early Wednesday morning, according to South Korea’s military. This comes just days before significant joint military exercises between the US and South Korea are set to begin.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that they detected the missile launch from the Wonsan area at around 6:00 am local time (2100 GMT Tuesday). The missile was aimed at the East Sea, which is also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s Defence Ministry confirmed on social media that the missile had already fallen, but they did not provide further details about the incident.
In the backdrop of this missile launch, South Korea and the United States are preparing for 11 days of joint military drills starting on Monday. These exercises are part of a routine summer program designed to enhance their defense capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear threats.
North Korea has often expressed strong opposition to these drills, viewing them as practice for an invasion, and has conducted missile tests before and after similar exercises in the past.
