SEOUL — North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea on Saturday, a day after rejecting South Korea’s demand for an apology over mines that Seoul says wounded three of its soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone, The Guardian reported, citing Reuters.
South Korea’s military said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area at about 6:30 a.m. toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and flew more than 700 kilometres (434 miles). Japan’s coast guard, citing the defence ministry, said the object may have been a ballistic missile and appeared to have come down, warning ships to take precautions. Seoul’s national security council held an emergency meeting; the military said it heightened monitoring and would share intelligence with the United States and Japan.
On Friday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed Seoul’s apology demand and ridiculed President Lee Jae Myung’s call for dialogue as “the climax of the farce,” warning Pyongyang was “ready for anything.” South Korea said North Korean mines caused a blast that injured three soldiers on a reconnaissance mission inside the 4-kilometre-wide buffer zone.
Cheong Seong-chang of Seoul’s Sejong Institute said the test might seek a response to Kim’s statement or involve a new missile type. North Korea has launched missiles on more than 10 occasions so far this year.
Sources: The Guardian (with Reuters)
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