This is the 14th rocket launch made by the DPRK this year.
North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, about a week after Pyongyang promised to develop its nuclear forces “as fast as possible,” according to Reuters. this year, a few days before the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yong Sok Yol on May 10.
The South Korean military said it had launched a rocket around noon in the Sunan area of Pyongyang. In Sunan, North Korea last launched a “new type” of Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24.
Japan's Coast Guard also said it had allegedly discovered a ballistic missile fired from the DPRK, and that the projectile had already landed. .
Detailed information about the projectile, including its range and altitude, was not immediately available.
The last launch was less than three weeks after the DPRK launched a new one on April 16. tactical guided weapons aimed at boosting nuclear capabilities.
Read also: North Korea launches new type of intercontinental ballistic missile
Pyongyang has recently stepped up weapons testing, resuming long-range missile launches in March for the first time since 2017. Officials in Seoul and Washington speculate that North Korea may also be preparing for a new round of nuclear tests.
Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to speed up his country's nuclear arsenal and denuclearization talks with the United States are currently at a standstill.
