The South Korean military announced on Tuesday that North Korea had launched a projectile toward the Sea of Japan, a move also confirmed by Japan’s Ministry of Defense via the platform X, noting that it had detected what is believed to be a ballistic missile launch.
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According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), this marks Pyongyang’s second test since the beginning of the year, following the launch of several missiles on January 4—just hours after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung departed for China to attend a summit, and one day after the United States carried out an operation in Caracas in which it arrested President Nicolás Maduro, a scenario Pyongyang fears Washington could adopt to detain its officials.
In recent years, North Korea has stepped up its missile tests. Analysts believe this is aimed at improving its precision-strike capabilities, challenging the United States and South Korea, and testing weapons in preparation for the potential export of such systems to Russia.
In the coming weeks, Pyongyang is set to hold a congress of the ruling Workers’ Party—the first in five years. In preparation for the meeting, leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the “expansion” and modernization of the country’s missile production.
