South Korean military: North Korea launches a long-range ballistic missile

The South Korean military said that on Wednesday, amid tensions brought on by Pyongyang’s allegations about US spy aircraft activities earlier this week, North Korea launched a suspected long-range ballistic missile into the East Sea.

Without going into any detail, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea (JCS) said that it had detected the launch at approximately 10 a.m. (local time) from a region in or near Pyongyang, according to Yonhap News Agency.

According to the JCS, “our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States while strengthening our monitoring and vigilance.”

The North launched a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile on April 13 in its most recent long-range missile test.

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in scathing accusations that US military surveillance planes “intruded” into the region above the North’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Monday and Tuesday.

In the North’s “economic water zone,” Kim Yo-jong said that the country would take “clear and resolute” measures against US surveillance planes, suggesting that a “shocking” occurrence may happen.

Her comments have been disregarded by the South Korean military, who claim that overflight and navigation freedom are guaranteed in the EEZ.

The most recent rollout took occurred during this week’s important diplomatic and security events, including the current NATO Summit in Lithuania and the ASEAN Regional Forum in Indonesia.

Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, is anticipated to address security cooperation against North Korea’s military threats with other leaders during the NATO Summit.

The North’s saber-rattling also followed the failure of a rocket launch in late May that was supposed to deliver its first military surveillance satellite.

According to the North’s official media, the second-stage engine started abnormally and caused the rocket to fall into the Yellow Sea.