North Korea fires another potentially nuclear-capable missile. South Korea has counted more than 25 incidents since the beginning of November. Shortly before the latest missile test, Pyongyang also threatened the United States and other South Korean allies with "sharper military reactions."
A good week after the last launch, North Korea fired another potentially nuclear-capable missile, according to its neighbor South Korea. The ballistic missile flew towards the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea) on Thursday (local time), the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing the military. No further details were initially given.
Most recently, North Korea tested a potentially nuclear-capable missile on November 9th. UN resolutions ban North Korea, a self-declared nuclear power, from testing ballistic missiles of any range that can be armed with a nuclear warhead. Recently, tensions on the Korean peninsula had increased significantly. Since the beginning of the year, there have already been more than 50 North Korean missile tests - in early November alone, South Korea's military recorded more than 25, including an ICBM.
The recent missile tests have also been seen as a response to joint maneuvers by South Korean and US forces. Shortly before reporting another missile test, Pyongyang announced "stronger military responses" to the efforts of the United States and its allies. "The US will be aware that they are playing a game they will surely regret," North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hu said in a statement released by the official KCNA news agency.
The recent joint military exercises by the United States, South Korea and Japan failed to rein in the North, but rather exacerbated the security crisis. He criticized the recent trilateral summit meeting between the heads of state and government of the three countries. At the meeting, the United States, South Korea and Japan condemned the government's weapons tests in Pyongyang and agreed to cooperate more closely on security issues. North Korea regularly accuses the United States of preparing an attack through its maneuvers with South Korea, which both countries deny.
