North Korea fires intermediate-range missile into eastern waters – South Korea

North Korea launched a missile towards the ocean on Tuesday, aiming to improve its weapons that could reach faraway places like the United States.

The military in South Korea said a missile was launched from near North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. It flew 600 kilometers before landing in the sea between Korea and Japan. The South Korean military didn’t right away give more information about the flight of the missile. They didn’t say if North Korea tested the missile with less power or with new technology.

Japan’s Defense Ministry explained that the missile traveled 650 kilometers and reached a maximum height of 100 kilometers before landing in water outside of Japan’s area. The Japanese military did not say right away if they thought the missile was medium-range or not.

Last month, the North tested a new type of engine for a fast missile that could reach Guam and the US Pacific military base if it works well.

This was the first known launch by North Korea since March 18th when their leader oversaw a practice of firing artillery. The artillery was meant to target the capital of South Korea.

Japan’s coast guard said that the Defence Ministry believes the missile has landed, but they still advised caution for ships traveling through the area.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, said that there have been no reports of damage from the missile. He said North Korea’s often launching missiles “puts Japan and the whole region at risk and threatens global security as well. ”

There has been more fighting in the area since 2022 because Kim used Russia’s attack on Ukraine to speed up his testing of missiles and other weapons. The US and South Korea are doing more training together, along with Japan, to make their defense stronger. They are also working on new plans to prevent threats, using important US military equipment.

Some people are worried that North Korea might cause more problems during elections in the United States and South Korea.

After testing the solid-fuel IRBM engine on March 19, Kim said that these weapons are just as important as his missiles that can reach the US.

Recently, North Korea has been working on making more weapons with solid fuel. These weapons are easier to move and hide and can be made to launch faster than liquid-propellant missiles. Liquid-propellant missiles need to be fueled before launch and cannot stay fueled for long periods of time.

Kim has promised to get very fast missiles that can beat the defenses of its enemies. This year, North Korea has tested other weapons like cruise missiles and very big multiple rocket launchers targeting the Seoul capital area.

Two days after North Korea said they would launch some spy satellites this year, they launched another one. The military of South Korea said on Monday that they don’t see any signs of a satellite being launched soon at North Korea’s main launch site in the northwest.

Kim said that satellites are very important for watching US and South Korean military activities, and for making his nuclear missiles more dangerous. In November last year, North Korea sent a spy satellite into space for the first time.