North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea on Saturday, according to South Korea’s military, as tensions continue over landmine blasts near the border between the two countries.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast at about 6.30am local time. It travelled more than 700 kilometres before falling into the sea. Japan said it landed outside its exclusive economic zone. The exact type of missile is still being assessed.
South Korea increases surveillance
The South Korean military said it had increased surveillance for possible further launches and was sharing information with the United States and Japan. Seoul’s presidential national security office called the launch a violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions and urged North Korea to stop its ballistic missile tests, according to the Associated Press.
There has been no report that the missile struck land or caused injuries. The launch is a separate event from the border blasts; neither South Korea nor North Korea has said the missile was fired in direct response to them.
The dispute at the border
Three South Korean soldiers were injured in landmine blasts on 21 September near the military demarcation line. South Korea says an inspection conducted with the United Nations Command found that North Korean mines caused the blasts. The command determined that the incident violated the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War.
North Korea rejects the accusation. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denied that Pyongyang had deliberately planted mines in the border area and dismissed Seoul’s demand for an apology, Reuters reported.
South Korea has also objected to North Korea’s continuing work to reinforce the border with mines and barriers. With the two sides giving sharply different accounts of the blasts, the immediate question is whether the latest launch will be followed by further tests or a response at the border.
