North Korea test-fires at least one ballistic missile

Asia-Pacific, News February 27, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea test-fired a possible ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on February 27, Japanese and South Korean military officials said.

Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that North Korea has launched “at least one ballistic missile,” which is estimated to have reached a distance of 186 miles (300 kilometers), with a maximum altitude of about 373 miles (600 kilometers).

In response to the missile launch, the Japanese defense minister said that North Korea threatens the security of Japan, the region, as well as the international community. “There have been frequent launches since the start of the year, and North Korea is continuing to rapidly develop ballistic missile technology,” Kishi said.

“This launch comes as the international community is responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and if North Korea is making use of that situation, it is something we cannot tolerate,” Kishi added.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the North launched the missile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at around 7:52 a.m.

The JCS said in a statement that the South Korean military is “tracking and monitoring related (North Korean) movements and maintaining a readiness posture.”

“For other specifics on the missile, the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis,” the JCS added.

South Korean Yonhap news agency reported that the missile that was fired by the North “appears to be similar to the Pukguksong-2 missile”, which is a road-mobile solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile, a ground-based variant of North Korea’s Pukguksong-1 submarine-launched ballistic missile.

*^{North Korea launches a ballistic missile on March 21, 2020. (Image Credit: KCNA-Yonhap)}*

According to the South Korean presidential office, the National Security Council of the country said the North Korean missile test was “undesirable” for peace of the region as the world is busy resolving the Ukraine war.

South Korean officials also expressed “deep concern and severe regret” over the missile launch and urged the North Korean leader to “immediately stop actions contrary to peaceful resolution through diplomacy.”

The latest test marks the eighth missile launch by North Korea this year and it comes just two weeks ahead of the South Korean presidential election on March 9.

Earlier on January 30, North Korea conducted its largest missile test since 2017, as North Korean authorities stated that Pyongyang had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Last month, North Korea launched two hypersonic missiles from the site at Jagang Province and also test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles that hit targets on an island near the Hamgyong Province. Pyongyang carried out seven missiles tests involving 11 missiles in 2022, with most missiles launched in a single month by North Korea.