Seoul: North Korea launched one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) toward the East Sea on Wednesday, an episode which may further escalate tension between the two neighbouring nations, media reports said on Wednesday.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea told Yonhap news agency that it detected the launch from an area in or around Sukchon, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:31 p.m.
Pyongyang launched 35 missiles into the East and Yellow Seas between last Wednesday and Saturday in protest against an massive combined air exercise of the U.S. and South Korea, called Vigilant Storm, reports the news agency.
The JCS said the latest missile flew 290 km at apogee of 30 km at top speed of Mach 6 and struck an uninhabited island in waters off the coast of the Norths South Hamgyong Province.
The missile is assumed to be one of Pyongyangs new SRBMs, such as KN-23 or KN-24, according to defense authorities as quoted by Yonhap.
The JCS said it detected multiple North Korean warplanes flying around the missiles impact area and is analyzing whether the air drill was related to the missile launch.
South Korea and the United States held a joint meeting and closely shared details of the situation after North Korea fired a ballistic missile and reaffirmed to strengthen the joint defense posture against North Koreas threats and provocations, the JCS as quoted by the news agency.
