News / Koreas

North Korea fires long range missile ahead of US-South Korea drills

Saturday, 18 February 2023 11:06 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 18 February 2023 11:34 AM ]

A North Korean flag flutters at the village of Gijungdong in North Korea in this picture taken near the village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. (Photo by Reuters)

North Korea has launched at least one long-range ballistic missile off its east coast after warning of a strong response to the upcoming US-South Korea military drills.

According to the South Korean military, the missile launch was conducted from the Sunan area near Pyongyang on Saturday.

“North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile into [the] East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

The Japanese military said it believed the missile would land around 200 kilometers off Hokkaido and inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The long-range missile is likely one of the North’s powerful longer-range weapons, with an estimated flight time of more than an hour.

The launch came a day after North Korea’s foreign ministry threatened to take “unprecedentedly” strong action against South Korea after it announced planned military exercises.

North Korea warns of 'unprecedented' response to US-South Korea drills

North Korea has warned of “unprecedented, sustained and strong responses” if South Korea and the United States go ahead with planned military exercises.

On Friday, North Korea accused both Washington and Seoul of planning more than 20 rounds of military drills this year, including one set for next week in Washington, which also includes large-scale field exercises.

Pyongyang has described its rivals as “the arch-criminals deliberately disrupting regional peace and stability.”

The upcoming exercise between Washington and Seoul scheduled for Wednesday would set up possible scenarios where North Korea uses nuclear weapons and would explore how to cope with them militarily and formulate crisis management plans, South Korea’s defense ministry has said.

“With a focus on North Korea’s nuclear threats, both sides will have in-depth discussions on various measures to strengthen US extended deterrence, including information sharing and consultation procedures,” the ministry said in a statement.

Saturday’s latest long-range launch follows a record number of unprecedented amounts of missile launches last year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of flying across the ocean just to reach American soil.

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