SEUL – North Korea launched two ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, the country’s first ballistic missile test in six months and a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions banning the country from conducting these tests.
The launch came a day after the U.S. special envoy urged North Korea to resume talks on nuclear disarmament, saying Washington had no “hostile” intentions toward Pyongyang. North Korea conducted its last ballistic missile test in March. Over the weekend, he tested what he called newly developed long-range cruise missiles.
The resumption of missile testing by North Korea came as neighboring countries stepped up efforts to get Pyongyang back on the negotiating table. North Korea uses weapons testing to improve its missile technology and increase its leverage with Washington.
Defense officials in South Korea and the United States were analyzing data from the North Korean missile test to determine what type of ballistic missiles were launched on Wednesday and how far they had flown, the Defense Ministry said. South Korea in a statement.
Japan’s Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that “an object that could be a ballistic missile was launched by North Korea,” but that it is “supposed” that it did not reach Japan’s territorial waters or in its exclusive economic zone.
News of the North Korean missile test came shortly after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, North Korea’s largest supporter, ended a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Chung. Eui-yong, in Seoul.
“Not only North Korea but other countries are also involved in military activities,” Wang said when reporters asked him to comment on the North Weekend cruise missile test. “We must all work together to resume dialogue. We all hope to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. “
Wang did not elaborate on anything, but the United States and South Korea conducted joint military exercises last month. North Korea has accused Washington and Seoul of preparing to invade the north and often counter joint military exercises between the two allies with their own military exercise or weapons tests.
“The United States has no hostile intentions toward” North Korea, Sung Kim, the Biden administration’s special envoy, told Tokyo on Tuesday, where he met with representatives of Japan and South Korea to discuss the issue. North. He said Washington hoped North Korea would “respond positively to our multiple offers to meet us without preconditions.”
Recent tests showed that North Korea continued to improve its missile arsenal despite a series of UN Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from developing or testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
Motoko Rich contributed reporting from Tokyo.