North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile as US, South Korea Prepare for Military Drills

North Korea has launched another ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean and Japanese authorities said, marking the country’s second reported missile test in less than a week.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area at around 6:00 a.m. local time and travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) before falling into the sea.

The launch came just days before South Korea and the United States are scheduled to begin their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises on August 17.

South Korea said its military had strengthened surveillance and was coordinating closely with the United States and Japan following the launch. Japan’s Defence Ministry also confirmed that the suspected ballistic missile had already fallen.

North Korea has historically opposed the annual US-South Korea exercises, describing them as preparations for an invasion. Seoul and Washington maintain that the drills are defensive in nature.

The upcoming exercises are expected to last 11 days and involve about 18,000 South Korean troops.

Analysts say Wednesday’s missile launch could be a warning from Pyongyang ahead of the military drills. North Korea has frequently responded to similar exercises with missile tests and strong criticism.

The latest launch follows another short-range ballistic missile test detected by South Korea, the United States and Japan on August 6.

Tensions have also increased between North Korea and Japan, with Pyongyang repeatedly criticising Tokyo’s defence policies and accusing Japan of using the North Korean threat to justify increased military spending.

Meanwhile, North Korea has faced accusations of providing greater military support to Russia in its war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia had used a North Korean ballistic missile in an attack on a steel plant in Zaporizhzhia that killed seven workers.

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