Image@ Reuters
North Korea has launched another suspected ballistic missile into waters off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, South Korean and Japanese officials have confirmed.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was fired from the Wonsan region at around 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
The incident occurred less than a week after another missile was reportedly launched from the same location.
The latest test comes just days before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises involving South Korean and United States forces.
The drills are scheduled to take place from August 17 to 27 and are designed to strengthen the allies’ ability to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Hong Min, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the launch could form part of Pyongyang’s ongoing weapons programme.
However, he noted that the timing may have been deliberately chosen to coincide with the approaching military exercises.
South Korean and Japanese defence authorities estimated that the missile travelled approximately 700 kilometres.
Seoul has not yet determined its exact classification, leaving analysts considering several possibilities, including a hypersonic weapon or a submarine-launched system.
The latest incident is believed to be North Korea’s 11th suspected ballistic-missile test of the year.
Its weapons trials in 2026 have included short-range missiles, artillery systems and other tactical arms.
Both Seoul and Tokyo condemned the launch.
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said his government had formally protested through diplomatic channels and described the firing as unacceptable.
South Korea’s national security officials held an emergency meeting following the incident and called on Pyongyang to stop actions that breach United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The country’s military also reaffirmed that it remains prepared to respond forcefully to any further provocation.
The United States Indo-Pacific Command said it was coordinating with its regional allies and partners.
It added that its preliminary assessment indicated the launch did not pose an immediate danger to American personnel, territory or allied countries.
The missile firing follows growing tensions over military and nuclear developments in the region.
North Korea has criticised South Korea’s plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, warning that such efforts could further destabilise East Asia.
Pyongyang has also accused Japan of laying the groundwork for nuclear weapons development under the cover of its civilian nuclear-energy programme.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had used North Korean ballistic missiles in an attack on a steel facility in Zaporizhzhia that killed seven workers.
North Korea has not issued an immediate official explanation for Wednesday’s missile launch, but its latest statements indicate that Pyongyang remains determined to strengthen its military capabilities in response to what it considers threats from South Korea, Japan and the United States.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong