“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile in the direction of the East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
The test came as Seoul and Washington warned Pyongyang that any nuclear attack on the US and South Korea would spell the end of the North Korean regime.
The two allies held the second session of the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington on Friday to discuss the deterrence of nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict with North Korea.
The missile launch also comes as Pyongyang marks the anniversary of the death on December 17, 2011 of the father of current leader Kim Jong-un and the father of predecessor Kim Jong-il.
North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state last year and has repeatedly said it will never give up its nuclear program, which the regime considers vital to its survival.
Last month, Pyongyang successfully launched a military spy satellite into orbit. Since then, it says its satellite is already providing images of major US and South Korean military sites.
2023-12-17 14:55:42
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