SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, resuming days before its rivals the U.S. and South Korea begin annual that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
The launch from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area was detected around 5 p.m., South Korea鈥檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff said, explaining that South Korea’s military has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan.
Japan鈥檚 Defense Ministry also said North Korea fired a but there was no impact in or around Japan, where the coast guard urged ships around the coast to use caution and notify authorities if any fallen objects were found.
The ballistic missile launch was North Korea鈥檚 first since late June, when it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a and other weapons. After watching the testing activities, leader Kim Jong Un underscored the need to bolster the military鈥檚 鈥渄eadly and destructive offensive posture.鈥�
Thursday’s launch also came ahead of large-scale, to be conducted by the U.S. and South Korean militaries later this month. U.S. and South Korean officials say the training is defensive in nature, but North Korea says the maneuvers are a practice invasion and often responds with its own missile tests and warlike rhetoric.
South Korean and U.S. officials haven’t formally released details about this year’s joint exercise, but the drills are typically held in the latter half of August.
Kim has been focusing on enlarging its nuclear and missile arsenals since his high-stakes collapsed in 2019. Experts say Kim wants international recognition as so that he can demand the lifting of international economic sanctions on North Korea.
U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from launches involving its huge stockpile of ballistic missiles. Tests of other weapons including and artillery systems are not banned, but experts say they still pose a threat to South Korea and the U.S.
In early July, Kim supervised tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer. After years of prioritizing ballistic missile development, Kim has increasingly turned his focus to naval capabilities, including the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine.
In recent years, Kim has boosted his diplomatic credentials by expanding . North Korea has supplied conventional weapons and troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.
Kim also has pushed to deepen cooperation with China, the North’s economic pipeline. Chinese President visited the North Korean capital Pyongyang in June for the first time in seven years.
In response to to restart diplomacy, Kim has suggested talks can resume if the U.S. drops its demand for North Korean denuclearization as a precondition.
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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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