North Korea has resumed ballistic missile tests ahead of Trump's visit to the neighboring country
North Korea conducted its first ballistic missile test in five months on Wednesday, just days before US President Donald Trump and other world leaders meet in South Korea.
North Korea has resumed ballistic missile tests PHOTO KNCA
South Korea's military said it had detected several short-range ballistic missiles launched from an area south of Pyongyang that flew about 350 kilometers to the northeast. South Korea's General Staff did not provide additional details about the trajectory, but stated that the missiles did not fall into the sea, reports AFP.
The General Staff added that the South Korean military remains ready to repel any provocation from North Korea, relying on the solid military alliance with the United States.
Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, told reporters that Tokyo maintains close communication with Washington and Seoul, including through real-time exchange of missile warning data. North Korea did not immediately comment on the launches.
South Korea is to host the annual APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit next week, dedicated to promoting economic integration and trade without a military component. Trump was expected to come to Gyeongju ahead of the summit for bilateral meetings with leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, but South Korean officials say he is unlikely to attend the main APEC conference, scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
Experts have previously said Pyongyang could carry out provocative missile tests before or during the APEC summit to reaffirm its desire to be recognized as a nuclear weapons state. According to them, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would need this status to ask the UN to lift the economic sanctions imposed because of his nuclear program.
Wednesday's launches were the first of their kind since the May 8 tests, when North Korea simulated retaliatory nuclear strikes against US and South Korean forces. At the same time, they are the first ballistic tests carried out by Pyongyang since Lee took office in June, who promised efforts to restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Jong Un has sharply accelerated the pace of weapons tests after nuclear talks with Trump failed in 2019 over disputes over US economic sanctions. Last month, however, Kim suggested he could return to the negotiating table if Washington drops its demand for North Korea to denuclearize, after Trump repeatedly expressed his desire for a new round of diplomacy.
Earlier this month, Kim unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a military parade attended by high-ranking officials from China, Russia and other countries. The parade highlighted Kim's growing diplomatic influence and his determination to build a nuclear arsenal capable of striking the United States and its allies.
North Korean state media reported that the Oct. 10 parade included the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, described as “the country's most powerful strategic nuclear weapon system.” Analysts say the missile is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to defeat US anti-missile shields and that Pyongyang could test this model in the coming months.
