North Korean Missile Launch Draws US Reassurance to Regional Allies

By Staff, Agencies

The United States said Friday it was closely monitoring North Korea’s latest missile launch while reaffirming its commitment to protecting its allies in the region.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, according to Yonhap News Agency.

US Pacific Command said it was aware of the launch and was coordinating with Washington’s allies and partners to assess the situation.

The command said its initial assessment indicated that the launch did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to its regional allies. It nevertheless reiterated Washington’s commitment to defending the US homeland and its partners in the region.

In a subsequent update, US Pacific Command said it was tracking multiple launches, while maintaining that there was no immediate threat based on its assessment.

The missile activity came a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan concluded their five-day Freedom Edge naval exercise in international waters near South Korea’s southern Jeju Island.

The latest launch adds to ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where Pyongyang has repeatedly criticized joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan.