North Korea fires new ballistic missile, neighbors say

North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile, the South Korean military reported to North Korea’s Yonhap news agency on Wednesday (August 30th). National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to comment.

The firing comes hours after the United States deployed B-1B bombers as part of its annual joint military exercises with South Korea, dubbed “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, which runs until August 31.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, believes that the joint military exercises carried out in the peninsula by Washington and Seoul pose a threat. He accused the United States of being “more restless than ever” with naval maneuvers and the permanent deployment of strategic nuclear assets in the waters around the Korean peninsula.

Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has multiplied missile tests and has also tried twice to deploy a first spy satellite. These attempts have ended in failure as the United States, South Korea and Japan have increased their defense cooperation in recent months.