North Korea fired a missile on Saturday, South Korean troops said three days before the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who vowed to face North.
South Korean troops say North Korea fired a short-range shot believed to be a submarine (SLBM) offshore off its east coast at about 0507 GMT on Saturday from near Sinpo, where North Korea stores submarines and SLBM shooting equipment.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also posted on Twitter that the project could be a ballistic missile. It has fallen, said a Japanese coast guard about 0525 GMT, based on information from the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the project remained outside the Japanese economy, citing government sources.
On Wednesday, North Korea fired a missile aimed at the sea along its east coast, South Korea and Japan said, after Pyongyang vowed to upgrade its nuclear forces at a “rapid pace”.
The United States has confirmed that North Korea is preparing for its Punggye-ri nuclear test site and may be ready to launch a test there earlier this month.
“Instead of accepting invitations to negotiations, Kim’s government appears to be preparing for a nuclear test. Time will depend on the fact that underground tunnels and technological equipment are ready, ”said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“The seventh nuclear test will be the first since September 2017 and has escalated tensions in the Korean Peninsula, increasing the risks of inequality and miscommunication between Kim’s regime and Yoon’s administration.”
Yoon takes over on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden will visit South Korea and meet with her on May 21.