SEOUL, Feb 27 (Reuters) – North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its eastern coast on Sunday, South Korean and Japanese military officials said.
The South Korean army headquarters said the projectile was fired from a location near Pyongyang International Airport.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the missile could have flown up to 600 km for a range of 300 km.
“There have been frequent (missile) launches since the beginning of the year, and North Korea continues to rapidly develop its ballistic missile technology,” Nobuo Kishi said in a television statement. North Korea threatens the security of Japan, the region and the international community, he added.
“This launch comes as the international community reacts to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and North Korea is taking advantage of this situation, this is something we cannot tolerate,” said Nobuo Kishi.
South Korea’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the shooting, which it described as “regrettable”, according to a statement issued by the Blue House.
“Firing a ballistic missile as the world strives to resolve the war in Ukraine is never desirable for global and regional peace and stability,” the statement said.
Pyongyang has carried out several missile tests since the start of the year, while North Korea’s number one Kim Jong-un called in his New Year greetings for a strengthening of the country’s military capabilities, citing the security context against a background deadlock in discussions with the United States on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. (Report Josh Smith; French version Camille Raynaud)