North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles Towards the East Sea

SadaNews - South Korea announced today, Sunday, that North Korea has launched what is suspected to be several ballistic missiles, marking Pyongyang's first missile test since the beginning of this year, just one day after the United States announced the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The South Korean Defense Ministry stated that the military detected the launch of several projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles towards the East Sea from an area near Pyongyang, at 7:50 AM local time, referring to the Korean name for the Sea of Japan.

For its part, the Japanese Defense Ministry confirmed that it detected the same launch, indicating that two missiles reached an altitude of about 50 kilometers and traveled estimated distances of approximately 900 and 950 kilometers respectively, before one of them fell later without specifying the exact location of its fall.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to security and stability in Japan, the region, and the international community, emphasizing that this is "absolutely unacceptable."

Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that this step likely reflects Pyongyang's feeling of increased pressure due to recent developments in Venezuela, pointing out that the implicit message from the missile launch may be a confirmation that targeting North Korea will not be easy.

The United States had conducted a rapid military operation in Venezuela early Saturday, resulting in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his transfer to U.S. territory to face charges related to "drug trafficking." U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington would take over the management of Venezuelan affairs until a "safe and orderly" transition of power is ensured.

In this context, North Korea has repeatedly condemned what it describes as U.S. plans to overthrow regimes hostile to Washington, considering this a threat to international stability.

The missile launch occurred just hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's departure to China to participate in a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, where Beijing's role is hoped to ease tensions between the two Koreas.

These developments come at a time when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is intensifying military activity, having recently visited sites for developing nuclear-powered submarines, ordered an increase in missile production, oversaw long-range cruise missile tests, and expanded the capabilities of weapon factories.

According to experts, these tests aim to improve targeting accuracy and send deterrent messages to the United States and South Korea, as well as to test weapons that may potentially be exported later, especially to Russia.

The ruling Workers' Party in North Korea is scheduled to hold its first congress in five years in the coming weeks, amid expectations that economic issues will be discussed alongside the country's military and defense strategy.