Now Reading: North Korea tests ballistic missile ahead of US-South Korea drills
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North Korea tests ballistic missile ahead of US-South Korea drills
North Korea tests ballistic missile ahead of US-South Korea drills
North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern coastal Wonsan area on Wednesday morning, its second missile test in less than a week, South Korea’s military said. The missile flew more…
The Story in Brief
North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern coastal Wonsan area on Wednesday morning, its second missile test in less than a week, South Korea’s military said. The missile flew more than 700 km, prompting condemnation from Seoul and Tokyo. Japan said the weapon did not reach its exclusive economic zone. The launch comes two days after South Korea and the United States announced their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises starting August 17, which North Korea calls an invasion rehearsal. Livemint reports that a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson vowed to respond with a “new level of a deterrent” to the drills, and also condemned a US nuclear strategy review as driving a nuclear arms race.
North Korea has increased weapons testing since diplomacy with the US collapsed in 2019, and recently strengthened ties with Russia and China. The US and South Korea say their drills are defensive.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides are locked in a predictable cycle: drills trigger missiles, missiles trigger more drills. Each calls the other provocative while claiming self-defence. The real story is not who started it but that neither is de-escalating. North Korea’s link to Russia’s war adds a new dimension. The test to watch: will the August 17 drills proceed as planned, and how will North Korea respond once they begin?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
