North korea: North Korea fired one unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Friday, South Korea’s military said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected the launch from near Taegwan County in North Phyongan Province, without providing further details. The South Korean military is analyzing details of the launch, including missile type and range.
According to Qatar News Agency, South Korea’s military has reinforced its surveillance in case of possible additional launches while closely sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan to maintain a fully prepared readiness posture. Japan’s Defense Ministry affirmed North Korea’s missile launch, stating that the missile apparently landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in brief remarks to reporters, said that the missile had landed outside Japan’s EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast. The missile launch came a day after North Korea denounced the latest US sanctions on eight North Korean individuals and two entities over cybercrime-related money laundering.
North Korea criticized the US sanctions as reaffirming Washington’s hostile policy toward Pyongyang and vowed to take proper measures with patience.