Pyongyang [North Korea], January 4: North Korea on Sunday fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea’s military said, marking Pyongyang’s first weapons test of the year, Yonhap News reported.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were launched from areas near Pyongyang at around 7:50 a.m. local time. The launches were detected as regional security forces remained on alert.
“Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the U.S. and Japan amid heightened surveillance against additional launches,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The missile launch came at a sensitive moment, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was preparing to depart for Beijing for summit-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The timing also coincided with heightened global tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro during a large-scale military operation.
North Korea’s previous missile test took place on November 7, when it fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea. That launch was the sixth ballistic missile test conducted by Pyongyang last year.
North Korea has repeatedly used missile launches to signal opposition to what it views as hostile actions by the United States and its allies, often carrying out such tests during periods of heightened international tension, Yonhap News reported.
Earlier in October, North Korea displayed new hypersonic and long-range nuclear missiles during a large military parade in Pyongyang to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to Yonhap News, citing state media.
The parade, held at Kim Il Sung Square, showcased two major weapons: the Hwasong-11Ma hypersonic missile and the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which North Korean state media described as the country’s “most powerful nuclear weapons.” (ANI)
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