North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile: Seoul's military

North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile: Seoul’s military

By : AFP

Date: 23 December 2022 9:34am WAT

This picture taken on December 15, 2022 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2022 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un as he directs a ground ejection test - a high-power solid fuel engine test - conducted at the Saikai satellite launch site in South Pyongan Province. (Photo by STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) / South Korea OUT / SOUTH KOREA OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE --- - REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE --- /

North Korea fired an “unidentified ballistic missile” Friday, Seoul’s military said, the latest in a recent flurry of sanctions-busting weapons tests.

“North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile into (the) East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

The launch comes after a year of unprecedented weapons tests by North Korea, including the launch of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile the month before.

The powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un also insisted earlier this week that the North had developed advanced technologies to take images from space using a spy satellite.

The United States and South Korea have warned for months that Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test.

The two countries held a joint air drill on Tuesday and deployed a US B-52H strategic bomber to the Korean peninsula, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The long-range heavy bomber was part of an exercise that included the US and South Korea’s most advanced jets — including the F-22 and the F-35 stealth fighters.

Friday’s launch came hours after the White House said Pyongyang had delivered arms to the Russian private military group Wagner.

Disclosing the delivery on Thursday US time, the White House called Wagner a “rival” for power to the defence and other ministries in the Kremlin.