North Korea launches ballistic missile off east coast
The missile reportedly flew about 700 kilometres and reached a peak altitude near 90 kilometres before splashing down outside Japan’s EEZ.
North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, South Korean and Japanese authorities reported. The launch occurred days before planned joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.
Key flight data and location
South Korean and Japanese defence agencies said the projectile travelled roughly 700 kilometers. Japan’s Ministry of Defense added that the missile reached a maximum altitude of about 90 kilometers and fell into the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The Office for National Security of South Korea convened an urgent meeting and voiced alarm over the new North Korean ballistic launches. Seoul has repeatedly called on Pyongyang to halt actions that breach United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Pyongyang had previously fired a missile on 6 August. Analysts and officials note the timing — the launch came just days ahead of large-scale combined exercises that South Korea and the United States plan to hold from 17 to 27 August, aimed at countering North Korea’s increasingly advanced nuclear and conventional capabilities.
Both Seoul and Tokyo issued statements condemning the launch, and regional security agencies said they would continue to monitor the situation closely as the drills approach.
Photo: press material from the event
