North Korea launched “an unidentified projectile” into the sea Thursday morning, the South Korean military said in a statement.
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The South Korean Army Joint Chiefs of Staff said an “unidentified projectile” had been fired by North Korea into the Sea of Japan, known as the “East Sea” in Korea.
No details on the nature of the projectile were immediately available.
North Korea launched two missiles on Sunday shortly after a visit to Seoul by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
It was the first North Korean missile launch since President Joe Biden arrived at the White House.
US officials later said they were two short-range, non-ballistic missiles. These officials had minimized the importance of these shots by explaining that these devices were classified “in the category of normal military activities in the North”.
These shots “are not sanctioned by UN Security Council resolutions against the ballistic missile program” in Pyongyang, an American official said on condition of anonymity.
These resolutions prohibit North Korea from developing ballistic missiles. But Pyongyang nonetheless quickly developed its capabilities in this area under the leadership of its leader Kim Jong Un and tested missiles capable of reaching the entire mainland of the United States.
The tour in the region of MM. Blinken and Austin aimed to discuss security issues with US allies particularly related to North Korea’s potential for nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.