North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on July 12, just days after threatening "shocking" consequences over alleged U.S. spy flights near its territory.
South Korea's military detected the missile launch from North Korea's capital region, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff shared in a statement. The South Korean military heightened its surveillance and maintained readiness in coordination with the United States.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada confirmed that the North Korean missile was likely launched on a lofted trajectory, a steep angle often used by North Korea to avoid neighboring countries during missile tests. The missile was expected to land in the sea approximately 550 kilometers east of the Korean Peninsula's coast, outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
North Korea's long-range missile program has consistently targeted the mainland United States, with the country conducting several intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches since 2017. These efforts are part of North Korea's goal to acquire nuclear-tipped weapons capable of striking major U.S. cities. However, experts believe that North Korea still needs to master certain technologies to develop fully functional nuclear-armed ICBMs.
This latest missile launch follows North Korea's previous long-range missile test in April, where it successfully launched a solid-fuel ICBM. Solid-fuel missiles are generally harder to detect and intercept than liquid-fuel weapons, representing a technological advancement for North Korea.
The launch on July 12 marked North Korea's first weapons firing in approximately a month. It came after a series of statements from North Korea accusing the United States of conducting reconnaissance flights near its territory. The United States and South Korea dismissed these accusations and called on North Korea to refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued warnings to the United States, claiming that a U.S. spy plane flew over North Korea's eastern exclusive economic zone multiple times. She stated that North Korean warplanes were scrambled to chase away the U.S. aircraft. In response, Kim Yo Jong threatened "a very critical flight" for the U.S. military if it continued its alleged spying activities. North Korea's military also threatened to shoot down U.S. spy planes.
Analysts believe that North Korea's statements and actions are part of a pattern to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests. They view North Korea's timing of these events as an attempt to disrupt diplomatic coordination against the country, particularly during the NATO summit where South Korea and Japan's leaders were meeting.
While North Korea has frequently made threats regarding alleged U.S. reconnaissance activities in the past, the recent statements and missile launch come amid heightened tensions due to North Korea's earlier barrage of missile tests this year.
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