Ballistic missile launched by North Korea Sunday: South Korean military

According to South Korea’s news agency, a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) fired by North Korea on Sunday covered a 400 kilometre flight path.

The local media stated that the missile was fired about 2.50 a.m. local time from the Ryongsong district of Pyongyang. The South Korean military stated that the missile, which was the first to be shot by the Kim Jong-un administration in 2023, was fired into the Sea of Japan and travelled around 400 kilometres before slamming into the water. The Sunday practise, according to North Korean witnesses, looked to be another reaction to Seoul’s test launch of a domestic solid-fuel space rocket on Friday.

In a statement, the US Indo-Pacific Command stated that it was aware of the launch of the ballistic missile, underscoring the destabilising effect of North Korea’s ballistic missile programmes.

According to a statement on its Twitter account, the missile launch, along with the three that took place less than 24 hours ago, highlights the destabilising effect of the DPRK’s illegal WMD and ballistic missile programmes.

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, it does highlight the destabilising impact of the DPRK’s illegal WMD and ballistic missile programmes,” the statement read.

US pledges to Japan’s and the Republic of Korea’s defence remain unwavering, stated the US Indo-Pacific Command.