North Korea Fires Unidentified Projectile Toward Sea Of Japan
North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the Sea of Japan shortly after US President Donald Trump discussed future meetings with Kim Jong Un. The launch occurred during US-South Korea military exercises, which Pyongyang condemned as a 'disaster' and a sign of a subservient relationship.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the volatility of the Korean Peninsula and the challenges of balancing diplomatic overtures with military deterrence.
North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, South Korea's defense ministry said.The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch toward the body of water that Koreans call the East Sea but it gave no details.The North fired a barrage of missiles into the sea on August 20 even after an overture from US President Donald Trump, who said he planned to meet this year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.That launch from the nuclear-armed North came as South Korea and the United States held a shorter edition of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises following an order from Trump to scale them back.That prompted a chorus of criticism that Trump was dumping an ally to coddle an autocrat.Pyongyang has long condemned US-South Korea joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion, often staging missile launches around the drills.Trump, seeking to revive…
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