SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward the sea on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, in its second suspected launch in less than a week..
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected the launch from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, at around 9:30 a.m. It said the missile flew toward the waters off the country’s east coast..
No further details about the missile, such as its range or altitude, were immediately available..
The launch came just days after North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday. It also followed a visit to the region by U.S. President Joe Biden, who reaffirmed America’s commitment to defending South Korea and Japan from North Korean threats..
North Korea has been ramping up its missile tests in recent months, in what experts say is an attempt to pressure the United States to ease sanctions and recognize it as a nuclear state..
The Biden administration has repeatedly called on North Korea to stop its missile tests and engage in dialogue, but Pyongyang has rejected those calls..
The latest launch is likely to further raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula and could prompt the United States and its allies to impose additional sanctions on North Korea..
In a statement, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it is aware of the launch and is consulting closely with South Korea and Japan..
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