North Korea fires a suspected missile toward the sea, Japan says
North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile toward the sea shortly after dismissing US overtures to scale back military drills. The move underscores the ongoing diplomatic stalemate between North Korea, the US, and South Korea.
Why it matters
The launch serves as a geopolitical signal of North Korea's refusal to engage in diplomacy under current conditions, heightening regional security tensions.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile toward the sea on Thursday, Japan said, a day after North Korea shrugged off a U.S. decision to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.
The Japanese prime minister's office said it detected the suspected launch but gave no further details.
South Korean media, citing the military, reported that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off the North's east coast.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in