South Korean and Japanese soldiers denounced this Saturday that North Korea launched into the Sea of Japan what could be a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching United States territory. According to data from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, collected by Yonhap, the missile was launched from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 5:22 p.m. (local time).
The flight of the North Korean missile lasted more than an hour; the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced its downfall at around 18:30 (local time). According to the Japanese military, the projectile covered a distance of about 900 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of approximately 5,700 kilometers. It is estimated that it fell about 200 kilometers west of Oshima, Hokkaido.
Shortly after, the Japanese Defense Minister, Yasukazu Hamada, detailed that the range of the missile is 14,000 kilometers, potentially reaching the US.
This is the second such launch by Pyongyang so far this year, since testing a short-range ballistic missile on January 1.
A day earlier, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said it would respond with “unprecedented strong and persistent response actions” if Washington and Seoul carry out joint military exercises scheduled for this year.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, JCS, said it detected the launch from the Sunan area of Pyongyang at around 5:22 p.m. According to the Army, the missile, which is presumed to have been an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), was launched at a high angle, flying about 900 kilometers.
The JCS did not provide further details, saying that South Korean and US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis on the missile’s specifications.
Pyongyang launched an ICBM in November last year.
In a text message sent to reporters, the JCS said North Korea’s launch of a long-range missile this time is a considerable provocative act, damaging the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the international community.
The Army also called the move a “clear” violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and urged the North to immediately stop such provocative acts.
The JCS said that while tracking and monitoring related movements, in close cooperation with the US, against possible further provocation, the South Korean military will maintain a firm defense posture, capable of overwhelmingly responding to any North Korean military provocation.
On Friday, Pyongyang’s foreign ministry warned that South Korea and the US will face “unprecedentedly strong and persistent” countermeasures if they go ahead with their planned joint military exercises.
Seoul and Washington plan to hold a tabletop exercise (TTX) at the Pentagon next week under the hypothetical scenario of North Korea using nuclear weapons. The two sides are also planning to hold the regular Spring Freedom Shield (FS) combined military exercise in March.
The FS exercises are scheduled to take place simultaneously with the current large-scale field exercises, in line with the two allies’ attempt to strengthen the scope and scale of their joint military exercises.
Some observers raised the possibility that the launch was carried out in protest of the North Korean regime and military’s classification as an “enemy” in the new South Korean Defense Ministry white paper, released earlier this week.
Pyongyang launched at least 70 ballistic missiles, including eight ICBMs last year alone, the highest number on record for a single year. (Information RT and Yonhap Agency).