Seoul, Jan 14 (EFE). The South Korean military said the North fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday that flew about 1,000 km before falling into the Sea of Japan.
“The North Korean missile fell into the East Sea after flying about 1,000 kilometers,” said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in a statement after claiming that it “detected, tracked, and monitored” the launch immediately and shared the information with the United States and Japan.
The military said the missile was fired from the Pyongyang area at around 14:55 local time, noting that they are “thoroughly analyzing detailed specifications” of the weapon, which may be a new type of solid-fuel IRBM
Seoul has warned of an imminent weapons test of such a missile since the Kim Jong-un regime first tested two new solid-fuel IRBM engines in mid-November for the first and second stages of the weapon.
Solid propellant missiles make them ready to launch faster and are easier to move and conceal, which makes it harder to detect and preempt its launch.
The latest North Korean launch, the first of this year, comes after it fired a solid-fuel long-range inter-continental ballistic missile, a Hwasong-18, on Dec. 18.
The test also comes at a time of heightened tension after the North Korean regime suspended, in November, a bilateral military agreement signed in 2018 that sought to prevent clashes around the demarcation line between the two countries.
Pyongyang conducted artillery maneuvers from Jan. 5 to 7 along the disputed maritime border, prompting Seoul to respond with its live-fire drills and announce military exercises in the border area. EFE
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