North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Tuesday, citing South Korean military sources.
The launch, reported by the Japanese coast guard, comes as South Korea and the United States step up defense cooperation in the face of rising tensions between the two Koreas, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.
Yonhap says the South Korean military is still investigating the type of missile that was fired.
Last week, North Korea announced that it had successfully tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile under the supervision of its leader, Kim Jong-un.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack.
The missile tested last week landed in the waters of Russia’s exclusive economic zone, and the 75 minutes was the longest flight of its type ever tested by the North Korean military, the UN said.
Relations between the two Koreas are currently at an all-time low, and Kim Jong-un has called for rapid weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons.
In response, Seoul and Washington stepped up their defense cooperation and held large joint military exercises.
North Korea appeared at the United Nations Security Council on Friday in support of a ballistic missile test, despite condemnation from several member states.
North Korea’s ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, argued that the country was only exercising its right of self-defense to “prevent dangerous military operations by enemy forces and protect the security of the state.”
After the emergency meeting, ten UN member states argued that the Security Council “cannot remain silent in the face of North Korea’s provocations” and that the refusal to launch ballistic missiles “must send a collective signal”.
“We call on all member states to address North Korea’s illegal monetization and malicious cyber activities, which fund the illegal and destabilizing activities of the North Korean government,” the joint statement said.
According to the US ambassador, Russia and China – two of the five permanent members, with veto power – blocked the Security Council from acting against Pyongyang.
The missile launch came on the same day that Washington confirmed the alleged capture of a US soldier by North Korean forces across the heavily guarded border that separates the two Koreas.
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