North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
South Korea’s military said the missiles were launched from near Sinpo on the east coast around 06:10 local time, flying about 140km before landing in the sea. South Korea and Japan said no violations of their territory or airspace were detected.
It was the fourth missile launch this month and the seventh of the year, according to South Korean officials.
The missiles were fired from the Sinpo area, a site associated with submarine-related military development, and travelled roughly 140 km, South Korea’s military said.
Japan’s government said the missiles were believed to have fallen near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, with no impact on its exclusive economic zone.
South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting, calling the launches a provocation that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and urging Pyongyang to “stop the provocative acts”.
The launch comes amid growing concern over North Korea’s nuclear programme.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said earlier this week that North Korea has made “very serious” advances in its ability to produce nuclear weapons, including an expanded uranium enrichment facility.
In March, Kim Jong Un said North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state was “irreversible” and insisted that expanding a “self-defensive nuclear deterrent” was essential to national security.
Analysts say the launches appear aimed at demonstrating military capability while shaping diplomatic conditions ahead of possible talks with Washington and Seoul.
“The missile launches may be a way of showing that, unlike Iran, we have self-defence capabilities,” said South Korean former presidential security adviser Kim Ki-jung.
“The North also appears to be exerting pressure pre-emptively and making a show of force before engaging in dialogue with the United States and South Korea,” he added.
The escalation comes as the seven-week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continues to reshape regional security calculations.
Experts say the conflict, which focuses on curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme, could reinforce Pyongyang’s own nuclear ambitions by highlighting the strategic value of deterrence.
U.S. President Donald Trump, preparing for a summit in China next month, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have both expressed interest in dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although no meetings have been scheduled.
Lee recently expressed regret to Pyongyang over drone incursions from the South, drawing rare positive comments from North Korea.
Iran’s top negotiator has said recent talks with the United States have shown progress, but that major differences remain over nuclear issues...
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open, lifting markets and sending oil lower. Meanwhile the U.S. blockade remains in place as President Donald Tru...
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon ...
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast ...
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court gr...
Iran’s top negotiator has said recent talks with the United States have shown progress, but that major differences remain over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside escalating regional instability.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open, lifting markets and sending oil lower. Meanwhile the U.S. blockade remains in place as President Donald Trump warns the ceasefire may not be extended. Talks continue as a fragile Israel-Lebanon truce holds, while the regional death toll has surpassed 5,000.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
The past 24 hours of the Russia-Ukraine war have seen a drastic escalation in both aerial bombardment and frontline losses.
Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping on Friday (17 April) for the first time since the U.S. and Israel killed Iran's ex-Supreme Leader in air strikes, triggering the Middle East conflict, at the end of February. A U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, however, remains in force.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
European countries should expand the role of natural gas in their energy systems to reduce the risk of supply shocks caused by international crises, an energy industry chief has said.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Bulgaria heads to the polls on Sunday (19 April) for its eighth election in five years, amid mounting public frustration over corruption scandals and repeated government collapses.
The Trump administration extended a sanctions exemption on some Russian oil as prices continue to skyrocket in the wake of the U.S.- Israeli war against Iran on Friday (17 April).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment