[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]Seoul and Tokyo reported that North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday that touched down in Japan’s exclusive economic zone after Pyongyang threatened to respond harshly to forthcoming US-South Korean military exercises.
Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s top government spokesperson, told reporters that North Korea “launched one ICBM-class ballistic missile,” which flew for around 66 minutes before touching down in the nation’s exclusive economic zone. Yasukazu Hamada, the defence minister of Tokyo, claimed the missile may have had a range of 14,000 kilometres, meaning it could have struck anyplace on the US mainland.
The military in Seoul claimed to have discovered the launch of an ICBM that soared for about 900 kilometres while travelling on a lofted trajectory, which is generally used to avoid overflying nearby nations. Following a year in which North Korea declared itself a “irreversible” nuclear power and conducted sanctions-breaking weapons tests, there have been increased military tensions on the Korean peninsula.
In response, Seoul has increased joint military exercises and cooperation with Washington, a crucial security ally, in an effort to reassure the growingly uneasy South Korean public of America’s commitment to deterring Pyongyang’s nuclear capability. In reaction to forthcoming US-South Korea drills, which it characterised as war preparations, North Korea on Friday warned a “unprecedentedly” forceful retaliation.
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