DPRK fires ballistic missile eastward
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a short-range ballistic missile into its eastern waters, the South Korean military said on Sunday.
About 20 minutes after initially reporting the launch, the Japan Coast Guard said the missile had already fallen. It appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), broadcaster NHK reported.
No further details were immediately available.
Shortly after the reports of the launch, DPRK’s defense ministry condemned what it called reckless military moves by “thugs” in the United States and South Korea.
The ministry’s statement, carried by state news agency KCNA, cited the arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Missouri in South Korea as the latest act that proves Washington is contemplating nuclear war.
It added that if the U.S. tries to end the year with a demonstration of nuclear war or any use of nuclear weapons against the DPRK, it will face its preemptive and destructive response.
The U.S. and South Korea held their second session of the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington on Friday, during which they discussed nuclear deterrence in the event of a conflict with the DPRK.
(With input from agencies)
