North Korea carried out several launches of short-range ballistic missiles on October 29, a few days after leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to China, amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula over last month’s landmine explosion, which Seoul blames on Pyongyang. UNN reports this, citing Bloomberg.
Details
About 10 missiles were launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea into waters off the country’s east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan’s Coast Guard said the projectiles apparently had already fallen.
"South Korea, the United States, and Japan are closely sharing information on North Korea’s ballistic missiles while maintaining full combat readiness," South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The launches came after a series of ballistic missile tests by North Korea in recent weeks and underscore security challenges in the region, as Kim demonstrates confidence that he can continue weapons testing even after new initiatives by U.S. President Donald Trump to resume dialogue, the publication noted.
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A few days earlier, Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to China, his second trip to the neighboring country in just over a year. Next month, the U.S. president plans to visit Shenzhen, China, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
Trump lowered expectations regarding a meeting with Kim Jong Un, although he had previously said that he would like it to take place this year.
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The test also took place against the backdrop of a dispute between Pyongyang and Seoul over last month’s landmine explosion in the demilitarized zone, which injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea proposed military-level talks with North Korea to discuss the issue after concluding that the mine had been planted by North Korea. Pyongyang has so far ignored the proposal and denies any involvement in the incident, calling the findings of South Korea’s investigation a "farce."