North Korea fires missile eastward ahead of US-South Korea military drills

AKIPRESS.COM – North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile eastward, Yonhap news agency reported, noting that the test came on the eve of major annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

Pyongyang had previously condemned the upcoming drills, labeling them a rehearsal for war.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the launch took place around 6:00 AM from the Wonsan area. The ballistic missile, which exact specifications are still being evaluated by South Korean and US intelligence, flew more than 700 kilometers over the Sea of Japan.

This launch marks North Korea’s 11th ballistic missile test of the year, following a previous test on August 6 involving a short- or medium-range missile.

Japan also condemned the launch, lodging a formal protest through diplomatic channels. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that the missile traveled around 690 kilometers, reached a maximum altitude of around 90 kilometers, and landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.