A U.S. official said late Thursday that North Korea fired yet another projectile in the Sea of Japan, most likely a short-range ballistic missile similar to the previous two the country had launched earlier in the week.
A second U.S. official also said North Korea may have launched two short-range ballistic missiles. The launch is the third one by North Korea in the past two weeks, which the U.S. has said were most likely in protest against the joint U.S.-ROK military exercises scheduled for later this month.
Thursday’s missile launch was also confirmed by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said in a statement that the projectiles were fired from the South Hamgyong Province toward the East Sea, at 2:59 a.m. and 3:23 a.m. local time, CNN writes.
When asked about the launches, President Donald Trump said, “Short-range missiles. We never made an agreement on that. I have no problem,” appearing rather unconcerned by the latest developments.
“These are short-range missiles, they’re very standard,” he added.
The American ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris likewise said that the U.S. was “not very bothered” by this week’s tests, but was more focused on the “greater issue which is bringing peace to the peninsula and achieving final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea.”
State-run news agency KCNA said the launches were guided by North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un and were a test-fire of a “newly-developed large-caliber multiple launch guided rocket system.”
Experts have noted that the tests could indicate the regime’s displeasure with South Korea’s purchase of F-35 stealth fighters, likely capable of escaping North Korea’s radars, as well as with the country’s joint military drills with the United States. The United Nations Security Council said earlier this week that the launches violated its resolutions.
The tests also coincided with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Thailand, where he stressed that the U.S. was prepared to proceed with “our diplomatic conversations with the North Koreans,” ABC News informs. Pompeo further expressed optimism that “that will happen before too long.”
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