DPRK Fires Ballistic Missile as US-South Korea War Drills Near

By Staff, Agencies

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK] launched a ballistic missile toward waters off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast on Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese authorities said, days before Seoul and Washington are set to begin major joint military exercises long condemned by Pyongyang.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at around 6:00 a.m. local time and flew about 700 kilometers.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said it reached an altitude of roughly 90 kilometers before landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone [EEZ]

Following the launch, South Korea’s Office of National Security held an emergency meeting and condemned continued ballistic missile tests, including a previous launch on August 6.

Seoul called on Pyongyang to halt what it described as provocations violating UN Security Council resolutions, while its military said it remained ready to respond “overwhelmingly” to any provocation.

Japan also condemned the launch, with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi saying Tokyo had lodged a strong diplomatic protest. While confirming that the missile landed outside Japan’s EEZ, Koizumi called the launch unacceptable.

The launch comes ahead of major US-South Korea military drills scheduled for August 17-27. The large-scale exercises are designed to simulate war with the DPRK, including scenarios involving nuclear and conventional weapons capabilities.

Pyongyang has consistently denounced such drills as invasion rehearsals, while Washington and Seoul maintain they are defensive.

The DPRK has conducted a series of weapons tests this year, including short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and other tactical weapons, amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The latest launch also follows renewed criticism of Japan’s military buildup, with DPRK state media accusing Tokyo of reviving militarism and using portrayals of Pyongyang as a security threat to justify increased arms spending.