{"id":53463,"date":"2022-01-05T01:57:31","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T01:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/09\/28\/north-korea-fires-suspected-ballistic-missile-into-sea\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T19:49:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T19:49:31","slug":"north-korea-fires-suspected-ballistic-missile-into-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/05\/north-korea-fires-suspected-ballistic-missile-into-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile into sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEOUL, South Korea \u2014 North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into its eastern waters on Wednesday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, the first such launch in about two months<\/a> amid long-dormant international diplomacy on the North\u2019s nuclear program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest launch came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further boost his military capability at a high-profile ruling party conference last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Korea\u2019s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday morning. It said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were trying to analyze more information about the launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets reporters following a report on North Korea’s firing of an unidentified projectile, at his official residence in Tokyo Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Japanese Defense Ministry also detected the North Korean launch, saying the country likely fired a missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe find it truly regrettable that North Korea has continued to fire missiles from last year,\u201d Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kishida said other details about the North Korean launch weren\u2019t immediately available, including where the suspected missile landed and whether there had been any damage. He said he ordered officials to confirm the safety of ships and planes in the area where the suspected missile likely flew and fell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday\u2019s launch is the first such firing since North Korea tested a series of newly developed weapons between September and November including nuclear-capable missiles that place South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies in the region, within striking distance. Some experts said North Korea was applying more pressure on its rivals to accept it as a nuclear power state and to ease international sanctions on the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biden administration has repeatedly said it is open to resuming nuclear diplomacy with North Korea \u201canywhere and at any time\u201d without preconditions. The North has so far rebuffed such overtures, saying U.S. hostility remains unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program collapsed in 2019 due to wrangling over how much sanctions relief should be given to the North in return for dismantling its main nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization step. Kim has since threatened to enlarge his nuclear and missile arsenals.<\/p>\n\n\n\t