North Korea fires ‘unidentified ballistic missile’

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday, the South Korean military said, days after artillery drills with live ammunition organized by Pyongyang near the maritime border with South Korea. “North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, referring to an area also known as the Sea of ​​Japan. . The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they detected the launch, but gave no further details.

Japan’s coast guard said it was an “object, likely a ballistic missile, launched from North Korea,” citing information from the country’s defense ministry, and asking ships to be careful. . The last missile launched by North Korea, on December 18, was a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM-class missile, the most advanced it has, fired into the Sea of ​​Japan.

Artillery exercises

In early January, North Korea carried out artillery exercises with live ammunition on its western coast, near South Korean islands where the civilian population was called to take shelter. On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described South Korea as the country’s “main enemy.” “The historic moment has finally come when we should define (South Korea) as the state most hostile to (North Korea),” assured Mr. Kim, calling South Korea “our main enemy” . .

The comments mark a shift in North Korean policy and portend that Pyongyang will take a tougher stance in the future, analysts say. Last year, North Korea enshrined its status as a nuclear power in its constitution and fired several intercontinental ballistic missiles, in violation of UN resolutions.