Seoul's military "detected around 6:53 a.m. (9:53 p.m. GMT) what is believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile fired from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea," the state said. South Korean joint major (JCS), referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of ​​Japan.

“We have strengthened surveillance and are closely sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan,” the JCS added.

This is the third ballistic missile test since the start of the year, following those of a solid-fuel missile supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in March and another with a hypersonic warhead. maneuverable in January.

Photo published on March 16, 2024 by the official KCNA agency of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in Pyongyang, North Korea © KCNA VIA KNS, AFP/Archives

Tokyo confirmed the missile launch and the coast guard asked ships to be vigilant and report any objects that fell without approaching them.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing unnamed government sources, said the missile "appears to have fallen in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Tuesday that the North had "launched ballistic missiles several times" this year, adding that it was a threat to regional security and that it was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Tuesday's firing comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang state media reported that Kim Jong-un had overseen a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for a "new type of intermediate-range hypersonic missile."

Photo published on March 20, 2024 by the official KCNA agency showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending a test of a solid fuel engine, at the Sohae satellite launch site, in the North Pyongan province © KCNA VIA KNS, AFP/Archives

It also comes just days after a Russian veto at the United Nations led to the dissolution of the UN sanctions monitoring system against North Korea and its nuclear program, amid an investigation into transfers of alleged weapons between Moscow and Pyongyang.

In just over a week, South Korea will also hold its legislative elections, during which President Yoon Suk Yeol's party, which takes a hard line against Pyongyang, seeks to regain control of the Parliament.

Strengthened ties with Moscow

Pyongyang has been subject to a series of sanctions since its second nuclear test in 2009, but has nonetheless relentlessly continued to develop its nuclear and weapons programs.

Since the start of the year, North Korea has designated Seoul as its "main enemy", closed agencies dedicated to reunification and inter-Korean dialogue and threatened to go to war for any violation of its territory "even if- 0.001 millimeter".

See alsoIs Kim Jong-Un preparing for war? The North Korean leader continues the provocations

In March, the United States and South Korea held one of their major annual joint military exercises, drawing the ire of Pyongyang, which systematically condemns these exercises as rehearsals for an invasion of its territory.

Seoul is a key ally of Washington in the region. The United States is stationing some 27,000 American troops in South Korea to help protect itself against the nuclear-armed North.

For its part, Pyongyang has recently strengthened its ties with Russia, its traditional ally.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un held a summit in the Russian Far East in September, during which Kim said ties with Moscow were his country's "number one priority."

Photo published on September 14, 2023 by the official KCNA agency showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny cosmodrome, Russia © KCNA VIA KNS, AFP/Archives

The United States later claimed that Pyongyang had begun supplying weapons to Moscow.

South Korea said in early March that North Korea had shipped around 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine since the transfers began in July.

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