North Korea has fired at least one “unidentified projectile” over the Sea of Japan, Seoul’s military said, with Tokyo reporting it as a possible launch of a ballistic missile.
The latest launch came on Thursday, a day after Pyongyang accused Japan of “transformation into a war state” as Tokyo beefs up its military stance in the Pacific.
“North Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to news organisations, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
“Something that may be a ballistic missile has been launched from North Korea,” Japan’s defence ministry posted on X.
A separate post shortly afterwards said, “there is no longer any impact on the areas around Japan”.
Tokyo’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said earlier this week the country’s military needs to be boosted with a “sense of urgency and crisis”, as a new government assessment warned of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.
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In a statement carried by North Korean state media, Kim Yo-jong — the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un — said Pyongyang’s “leadership will set up additional military options which are obviously due to Japan’s transformation”.
