North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the east coast of South Korea.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff announced the military action with Japan’s coast guard adding that the unspecified missile had already fallen.
The launch came as a US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea to participate in joint drills with South Korean forces, and days before a planned visit next week by US vice president Kamala Harris.
The missile appears to have landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan broadcasting corporation, also known as NHK, reports.
Reports this week said North Korea was preparing to test-fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile. The South Korean military spotted activities of North Korea preparing to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile in Sinpo, the Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.
The agency cited an unnamed South Korean military source in their report who stated that the test might take place next week on Wednesday and Thursday in the South Hamgyong Province of North Korea.
Earlier this week, some US-based think tanks also said that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a submarine-launched ballistic missile test.
New satellite imagery revealed new construction and barges at the Sinpo South Shipyard on the east coast of the country, which is critical to North Korea’s new ballistic missile submarine (SSB).
According to reports, six news barges and vessels were detected gathered around the submarine construction hall which was not previously present, according to the 38 North, a programme of nonpartisan think tank Stimson Centre which monitors North Korea.
The images were taken on Sunday (18 September). It said the new development suggests that “North Koreans are preparing to launch a new submarine” from the shipyard – where Kim Jong-un visited in 2019.
“While barges and a dry dock have been occasionally observed around the submarine launch quay at the main construction hall, the presence of six vessels and barges in this area has not been observed before,” the report said.
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