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North Korea Launches Short-Range Ballistic Missile Into Sea of Japan

The launch is viewed by regional media as potential pushback to fresh U.S. sanctions on North Korean financial networks.

Overview

  • South Korea reported a single projectile was fired at about 12:35 p.m. local time from near Daegwan in Pyonganbuk-do toward the Sea of Japan.
  • Japan’s defense ministry assessed a maximum altitude of roughly 50 kilometers and a flight distance over 450 kilometers, while South Korea estimated about 700 kilometers.
  • Authorities said the missile likely fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and no damage to ships or aircraft has been confirmed.
  • Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo lodged a strong protest to North Korea through its embassy channel in Beijing.
  • Coverage attributes the timing to recent U.S. sanctions and closer U.S.–South Korea military coordination, including the USS George Washington’s port call and this week’s security consultations.