North Korea has fired a short-range missile into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo officials say, in the latest weapon tests by Pyongyang that raises questions about the sincerity of its recent offer for talks with South Korea.
In an emergency National Security Council meeting, the South Korean government expressed regret over the “short-range missile launch” by the North early on Tuesday.
South Korea’s military earlier said the object fired from North Korea’s mountainous northern Jagang province flew toward the North’s eastern sea.
Details of the launch were being analysed by South Korean and US authorities. But Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said North Korea fired “what could be a ballistic missile” and his government stepped up its vigilance and surveillance.
A ballistic missile launch would violate a UN Security Council ban on North Korean ballistic activities, but the council typically does not impose new sanctions on North Korea for launches of short-range weapons.
Tests of ballistic and cruise missiles earlier this month were North Korea’s first such launches in six months and displayed its ability to attack targets in South Korea and Japan, both key US allies where a total of 80,000 American troops are stationed.
But last Friday and Saturday, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, reached out to Seoul, saying her country was open to resuming talks and reconciliatory steps if conditions were met.
Some experts said North Korea wanted South Korea to work to win it relief from US-led sanctions.
South Korea called her statement “meaningful” but urged North Korea to restore communication channels before any talks between the rivals could be arranged.
The communication lines have remained largely dormant for about 15 months. Seoul’s unification ministry said on Tuesday that North Korea remained unresponsive to South Korea’s attempts to exchange messages over the channels.
As the North conducted its third round of weapons launches, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song used his speech on the last day of the UN General Assembly to justify his country’s development of a “war deterrent” to defend against US threats.
“The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the US’s mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion,” Kim said.
AAP
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