Politics1 min read

North Korea fires missiles as row over landmine blast intensifies

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

North Korea fired roughly 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan from the Wonsan area, with Japanese authorities noting the projectiles landed outside their Exclusive Economic Zone. The barrage comes after Seoul demanded an apology over a September 21 landmine blast that an inquiry concluded was planted by the North over a year ago. Key officials, including Kim Yo Jong, dismissed the findings as a fabricated farce while refusing an offer of medical equipment. This military defiance highlights Pyongyang's ongoing suspension of virtually all cooperative ties with South Korea.

Key points

  • Border tensions are escalating sharply despite South Korea's recent proposal to hold mili…: Border tensions are escalating sharply despite South Korea's recent proposal to hold military talks and restore communication lines.
  • North Korea continues to deny involvement in the recent Demilitarized Zone blast while ma…: North Korea continues to deny involvement in the recent Demilitarized Zone blast while maintaining a suspension of inter-Korean dialogue.
  • Recent diplomatic overtures by the United States have stoked fears in Seoul of being excl…: Recent diplomatic overtures by the United States have stoked fears in Seoul of being excluded from future nuclear negotiations.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Seoul accuses Pyongyang of causing a landmine explosion that injured three of its soldiers, an accusation Pyongyang denies.

North Korea has fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), less than a week after Seoul proposed talks over a growing border dispute.

The missiles were launched at about 12:30pm (03:30 GMT) on Thursday from an area around Wonsan on North Korea’s eastern coast, the JCS said in a statement.

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Japan’s Defence Ministry separately confirmed the launch of what it said could be a ballistic missile that fell outside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The launch comes against the backdrop of growing tensions over a landmine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers…

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