North Korea has reportedly fired what many described as an unidentified projectile into the sea, said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), an incident that has raised concerns over the North's mysterious motives.
The first to report the launch was the Japanese coast guard who said that it was possible the projectile was a ballistic missile; however, no confirmation has been given yet. The situation comes as the United Nations has prohibited North Korea from testing ballistic and nuclear weapons.
Unidentified Projectile
If confirmed to be true, it would be the first launch of a ballistic missile carried out by Pyongyang this year. In a statement, the JCS said that South Korean and U.S. intelligence were closely analyzing the incident for further detail and information.
In a statement, Japan's defense minister, Nobuo Kishi, said that the suspected ballistic missile fired by North Korea was able to fly roughly 500 kilometers. The suspected ballistic missile launch comes days after Kim Jong Un said that Pyongyang would continue to boost its defensive capabilities in preparation for the increasingly unstable military environment on the Korean peninsula, BBC reported.
In an interview with reporters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that North Korea has, since last year, repeatedly launched missiles. The official called the incidents "very regrettable."
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Currently, North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, but since the coronavirus pandemic, the nation has become even more isolated from the rest of the world. Authorities have imposed border lockdowns that have slowed trade and choked off any in-person diplomatic engagements.
The region has also maintained a self-imposed moratorium on testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or nuclear weapons. The latest known tests of ICBMs or nuclear bombs by North Korea were in 2017. The time was before Kim launched a diplomatic venture to the United States and South Korea that has slowed down, France24 reported.
Potential Cases of Damage
While it was not confirmed where the unidentified projectile landed or if there was any damage to its impact point, Kishida said he ordered officials to observe and confirm the safety of ships and planes in the area where the projectile likely flew and fell.
Some experts have argued that the recent launches of North Korea are being used to apply pressure on its rivals to accept it as a nuclear power state and east international sanctions on the region. United States President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly said that it was willing to resume nuclear diplomacy with North Korea "anywhere and at any time."
However, North Korea has so far rebuffed such overtures, saying that the U.S. government's hostility remains unchanged. In 2019, various U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program collapsed. The cause of the incident was due to wrangling over how much sanctions relief should be given to North Korea in exchange for the nation choosing to dismantle its main nuclear complex, which was considered to be a limited denuclearization step, ABC News reported.
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