North Korea launches a suspected ballistic missile into the ocean

• According to South Korean military sources, North Korea has conducted its first known test since June by firing what seems to be a ballistic missile off its east coast.
• It happened shortly after a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to take part in joint exercises and before Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to arrive.
• The launch, according to Seoul, was an “act of severe provocation.”

 According to South Korean military sources, North Korea has conducted its first known test since June by firing what seems to be a ballistic missile off its east coast.

It happened shortly after a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to take part in joint exercises and before Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to arrive.

The launch, according to Seoul, was an “act of severe provocation.” North Korea is not allowed to test nuclear or ballistic missiles, according to the UN.

A short-range missile fired shortly before 07:00 local time (23:00 GMT) near Taechon, more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Pyongyang, was reportedly detected, according to the military of South Korea. It claimed to have travelled 600 miles at a height of 60 km.

In a statement, it claimed that “our military maintains a full readiness posture and is closely collaborating with the US while boosting monitoring and vigilance.”

The coast guard of Japan announced the launch and advised ships to “be careful.” Yasukazu Hamada, Tokyo’s defence minister, reported that the missile, which fell in waters off North Korea’s eastern coast and outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, reached a maximum altitude of around 50 miles.

According to Soo Kim, an analyst at the Rand Corporation, “it’s North Korea’s method of expressing disdain of the [US] alliance.”

The USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered warship, berthed at the southern port city of Busan on Friday to participate in coordinated exercises off the east coast of South Korea. According to the South Korean navy, the training is being done for the “sake of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.”

In the following days, Ms Harris will go to South Korea as part of a regional journey that also includes attending Shinzo Abe’s funeral in Japan.

In the past year, tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased as a result of Pyongyang’s numerous ballistic missile launches.

Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea, who took office in May, has pledged to take a harder line against North Korea and to forge tighter ties with the US.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, ruled out the chance of discussions on denuclearization as the country passed legislation earlier this month declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state. Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017 despite international sanctions.

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