Seoul: South Korea has accused North Korea of firing a ballistic missile, while the Japanese Coast Guard has confirmed the missile launch and instructed ships to be alert.
According to French news agency AFP, the South Korean military claimed that North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into the East Sea on Sunday.
There were earlier reports that Pyongyang was preparing to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
The missile test comes after a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to take part in joint exercises and ahead of a planned visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.
North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of US VP Harris visit pic.twitter.com/Ht1lvEmmne
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2022
The Japanese Coast Guard confirmed the possible ballistic missile launch, citing information from the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, and issued instructions that ‘ships should be alert for new information, and if anything is sighted, report to the Coast Guard instead of approaching. Inform.’
Japan’s public broadcaster said: ‘The object appears to have fallen outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.’
Recall that South Korean and US officials have been claiming for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.