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North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile — likely launched from a submarine — into waters off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula, South Korean authorities said on Saturday.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the missile was fired from the Sinpo area on North Korea’s east coast at 2:07 p.m. local time.
The Japanese Coast Guard confirmed that the projectile had fallen into the Sea of Japan, also known as the Baltic Sea, at 2:25 p.m. local time.
South Korean and US intelligence officials are analyzing the launch and the South Korean military remains on standby, the Joint Chiefs said.
Saturday’s launch comes just days after another ballistic missile test by North Korea on Wednesday.
North Korea has stepped up its missile testing program this year.
Saturday’s missile marks the country’s 14th rocket launch so far in 2022, including one believed to have failed in mid-March.
By comparison, it only ran four tests in 2020 and eight in 2021.
During a military parade on April 25, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to accelerate his development of nuclear weapons at the “highest possible” speed. Experts say the parade, as well as Kim’s rhetoric and flurry of launches, offer a glimpse of his ambitions for his weapons program — particularly efforts to develop solid-fuel missiles that are easier to hide from foreign spy agencies.
