North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Baltic Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on the night from Saturday to Sunday.
The South Korean army reports that the missile has traveled a distance of 600 kilometers and reached an altitude of 60 kilometers. Seoul speaks of a “serious provocation” by North Korea and says it is collaborating with US forces.
According to the Japanese coast guard, the bullet landed in the sea, outside the so-called Japanese economic zone.
The launch of the North Korean missile follows a few days after the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea. That ship, the USS Ronald Reagan, is in the region for military exercises to deter North Korea.
It is the first time in nearly five years that a US aircraft carrier has been in South Korea. Next week, US Vice President Kamala Harris will also visit Tokyo and Seoul, among other locations.
Pyongyang conducted a record number of weapons tests this year. It also revised its nuclear weapons law earlier this month, making it now possible for North Korea to be the first to carry out a nuclear weapons attack. The country also says it will never give up its nuclear weapons.
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