N Korea Launches Ballistic Missile toward Sea of Japan

Local Editor

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, which reportedly landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters for the first time.

According to a statement released by the South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missile was launched from a region in the North Korea's South Hwanghae Province at around 7:50 am local time on Wednesday.

This is the fourth such missile launch in the past two weeks by Pyongyang in open defiance of the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The projectile, appearing to be a Rodong-type medium-range missile, flew some 1,000 kilometers toward the waters off the North Korea's east coast, the statement further said.

The launch showed Pyongyang's ambition to "directly and broadly attack neighboring countries and target several places in the Republic of Korea such as ports and airfields," it added.

According to Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, the missile was estimated to have landed into Tokyo's exclusive economic zone, some 250 kilometers off its northern coast at 8:05 am on Wednesday.

Japan was also quick to strongly denounce the move by its western neighbor.

North Korea tested three other ballistic missiles on July 19, believed to be two SCUD missiles and a Rodong medium-range missile, saying the launches were part of a drill simulating preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the US military.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team