North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan
Illustrative photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Getty Images)
North Korea carried out its first missile launches of the year on the morning of January 4, firing projectiles toward the Sea of Japan, according to Kyodo News and Yonhap.
This was the first such missile activity in nearly two months. The missiles were launched from North Korea’s western coast at around 7:54 a.m. and 8:05 a.m., both reaching their maximum altitude.
The missiles fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. There were no reports of damage or casualties.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed relevant agencies to urgently gather all available data on the incident and inform the public. She also ordered measures to ensure the safety of civilian vessels and aviation in the Sea of Japan area and to continue monitoring North Korea’s actions.
The launches were also detected by South Korea. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired from an area near Pyongyang, traveled about 900 kilometers, and landed in the waters of the Sea of Japan.
South Korean military officials, together with US allies, are currently analyzing the data, including the launch site, trajectory, and flight range, to determine the type of missiles and their characteristics.
The launches took place ahead of a planned visit by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Previous missile launches
As a reminder, on December 29 North Korea carried out a launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles. The test was observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
According to KCNA, the North Korean leader expressed "great satisfaction" as the cruise missiles followed their planned trajectory over the sea from the Korean Peninsula and struck their target.
The missile launch came after KCNA reported last week that Kim Jong Un had observed the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine.
He also oversaw test launches of long-range surface-to-air missiles.
In addition, Yonhap, citing a South Korean military official, reported that North Korea may conduct additional missile tests during the New Year holiday period.
