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North Korea fires a ballistic missile toward the sea
apnews.com • • world
Key Points:
- North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile from its eastern coastal Wonsan area, detected around 5 p.m., ahead of upcoming U.S.-South Korea military drills that Pyongyang views as invasion rehearsals.
- The missile landed in waters off North Korea’s east coast, with no reports of it reaching Japanese territory; Japan and South Korea condemned the launch as a regional threat and violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
- This marks North Korea’s first ballistic missile test since late June, following leader Kim Jong Un’s call to strengthen the country's offensive military capabilities.
- The missile launch precedes large-scale joint U.S.-South Korea exercises typically held in August, which North Korea opposes as provocative despite officials describing them as defensive.
- Kim Jong Un continues to focus on expanding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and naval capabilities, while deepening ties with Russia and China amid stalled denuclearization talks with the U.S.
