North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter watch the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on December 19, 2023 (French)

The South Korean military announced - on Monday - that North Korea launched an unspecified ballistic missile, according to what Yonhap News Agency reported from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The South Korean army reported that the launch of short-range ballistic missiles was detected at approximately 7:44 (22:44 GMT), as they traveled a distance of approximately 300 kilometers before falling into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of ​​Japan.

This is the second launch of a ballistic missile by Pyongyang in 2024, as another missile was launched on January 14, and was equipped with a hypersonic warhead.

The test comes a few days after the end of the “Freedom Shield” exercises, carried out by South Korea and the United States, which included exercises to intercept missiles and air attacks, and witnessed an increase in the number of participating forces compared to last year.

North Korea warned the United States and South Korea that they would pay a "heavy price" for carrying out these maneuvers, before announcing that its leader, Kim Jong Un, would supervise a large-scale artillery maneuver, in which border units participated, stressing that it placed "the enemy's capital within its reach." .

Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyang has designated Seoul as its "main enemy" and closed agencies dedicated to inter-Korean reunification and dialogue.

It threatened to wage war in the event of any violation of its territory, “even if it was only 0.001 millimetres.”

The United States denounces

On Monday, the United States condemned North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile, coinciding with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to South Korea.

The US State Department spokesman stated that launching these missiles, as has happened in recent years, is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, noting that these actions constitute a threat to North Korea's neighbors and undermine regional security.

He also affirmed their commitment to diplomatic dialogue with North Korea, while at the same time emphasizing their firm support for Japan and South Korea.

Blinken is participating in the “Summit for Democracy,” an initiative by US President Joe Biden, hosted by Seoul for two days, in the presence of government officials, non-governmental organizations, and members of civil society.

Source: French