Kim Jong Un ‘tests projectile’ ahead of US drills and Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the region amid tensions
- North Korea believed to have fired a ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan
- It comes days before a planned visit by the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris
- Projectile is believed to have already fallen, according to Japan’s coast guards
- North Korea has tested a record number of ballistic weapons since 2022 began
North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan just days before US military drills and a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to the region amid regional tensions, South Korea and Japan’s leadership have said.
South Korea’s military have claimed North Korea has fired at least one unidentified ballistic missile toward its eastern sea.
Japan’s Coast Guards also said the projectile had already fallen.
The launch came as the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group arrived in South Korea for the two countries’ joint military exercise to meant to show their strength against growing North Korean threats.
It comes just days before a planned visit by the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has dialed up its testing activities to a record pace – testing more than 30 ballistic weapons, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017 – as it continues to expand its military capabilities amid a prolonged stalemate in nuclear diplomacy.
The threat from North Korea is expected to be a key agenda when Ms Harris visits South Korea next week after attending the state funeral in Tokyo of slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday did not immediately say what type of missile it was or how far it flew.
The launch comes days after South Korean officials said they detected signs that North Korea was preparing to test a missile designed to be fired from submarines.
