People watch a news television screen showing archival footage of a North Korean missile test at a train station in Seoul on September 12, 2024. According to Seoul military reports, a few days ago, North Korea, which possesses nuclear weapons, celebrated its first anniversary.
Jung Yeon-je | AFP | Getty Images
After North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he “strongly condemned” the move, adding that Tokyo had “protested” to the hermit kingdom.
“So far, we have not confirmed any reports of any damage being caused. Needless to say, North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles violated U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Kishida said.
“We will continue to do our best to collect information and monitor the situation, and we will work closely through the Japan-U.S. and Japan-U.S.-South Korea alliances.”
North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles from its east coast toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday morning local time, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Japan said the missiles were “believed to have fallen” outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, an area of water where Japan’s coastal states claim the right to conduct economic activities.
South Korea said in a statement that the missiles were launched from Pyongyang and flew about 360 kilometers and 224 miles before landing in the East China Sea. statement.
A few days ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country would implement a policy to “exponentially” enhance its nuclear capabilities, according to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also condemned the launch in a statement, calling on North Korea “to refrain from further illegal and destabilizing actions.”
“While we assess that this incident does not pose a direct threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation. The U.S. defense commitment to South Korea and Japan remains ironclad,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command added .
According to local news reports, it was North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch in two months. According to the South Korean military, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles in early July, one of which failed and may have landed inland.
North Korea has been stepping up weapons testing in recent years in response to what it calls a deepening U.S. military threat.
Kim Jong Un said in a speech on Monday that his country needed a strong military presence to deal with “various threats posed by the United States and its followers.”
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