The South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Tuesday that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for a new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile less than two weeks ago.
Japan also stated that it appeared North Korea launched the missile, and the country’s coastguard suspected the missile had fallen.
Tuesday’s launch marks the third ballistic missile test this year, following the solid-fuel one witnessed by Kim in March and another tipped with a manoeuvrable hypersonic weapon in January.
Last year, North Korea claimed to have successfully tested its first solid-fuelled ICBM, the largest, longest-range type of ballistic missile, praising it as a significant step forward for the country’s nuclear retaliatory capabilities.
Solid-fuel missiles do not require fueling before launch, making them more difficult to detect and destroy while also being faster to deploy.
So far this year, the nuclear-armed North has proclaimed South Korea its principal enemy, dissolved institutions dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over even 0.001 mm of territorial infringement.
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