North Korea fired a short-range missile from northern Chagang Province towards the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said on Tuesday.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it had not been initially clear whether the missile was ballistic or how far it had flown.
South Korean President Moon Jae In has ordered a thorough analysis of the test launch and recent statements from North Korea on relations between the two countries.
The Japanese Government also confirmed the launch, said that it was most likely a ballistic missile, the Kyodo news agency reported.
UN resolutions have barred North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, which, depending on their design, are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
This new launch came just two weeks after Pyongyang tested two short-range ballistic missiles, which it later said were a new type of long-range cruise missile.
At the time, President Jae In called those tests a “provocation”.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s UN ambassador, Kim Song, told the UN General Assembly on Monday that his country had an indisputable right to develop and test weapons systems of any kind.
During the general debate of the UN General Assembly, Kim accused the U.S. of pursuing a hostile policy against his country.
To this, Washington denied and called on the U.S. to halt joint military manoeuvres with South Korea permanently.
It adds: “if the U.S. made a bold decision and abandoned its hostile policy, we will willingly respond at any time’’.
For years, Pyongyang has been developing missiles that are capable of hitting not only South Korea and Japan but can carry warheads as far as the U.S.
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