North Korea Carries Out 9th Missile Test This Year
By Donald Standeford, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: March 5, 2022 05:20PM UTC
Last Modified: March 5, 2022 05:20PM UTC
NORTH KOREA - North Korea has carried out its 9th missile test so far this year. A single ballistic missile was fired into waters off the Korean Peninsula on Saturday according to South Korea.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated, "The South Korean military is maintaining a readiness posture by monitoring related movements in preparation for additional launches".
The JCS stated that the missile launch was "a serious threat to the international community as well as peace and security on the Korean Peninsula".
The missile was launched from Sunan which is near Pyongyang, according to the statement. It flew around 168 miles and reached an altitude of around 348 miles.
The U.S. and South Korea are currently working together to analyze the missile launch in more detail.
During an emergency meeting after the launch had occurred, South Korea's National Security Council urged North Korea not to further increase international tensions during 'a very serious period' referring to the current war in Ukraine.
South Korea's National Security Council said that the missile tests that North Korea carried has carried out this year violates the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and that it would 'devise necessary countermeasures" in response.
The United States has also condemned the latest launch by North Korea and has stated that it is consulting with South Korea, Japan and other regional partners.
Japan's Coast Guard also warned its vessels to watch out for 'any falling objects'.
The US Indo-Pacific Command put out a statement urging North Korea to "to refrain from further destabilizing acts" but said that the launch didn't pose an 'immediate threat'.
The latest launch marks the 9th missile launch in 2022 so far. January alone saw a flurry of launches from North Korea.
The seventh missile that North Korea launched late January was the most powerful missile the country has tested since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.
The Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missile was fired from the Jagang Province and flew 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) and reached an altitude of 2,000 km (1243 miles) before landing into the sea east of North Korea.
The Hwasong-12 is nicknamed by some as the 'Guam Killer' due to the fact that the missile is capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam.
