launches ballistic missiles into the Sea of ​​Japan

North Korea continues to improve its weapons program and the launch of ballistic missiles despite the sanctions. In the first test since the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who has shown his intention to reduce tension with his neighbor, Pyongyang launched multiple short-range ballistic projectiles (SRBM) this Wednesday. The test is also recorded one week before Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea to participate in a summit of Asian and Pacific leaders.

“The Army detected today around 08:10 local time (23:10 GMT on Tuesday) the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles from the Jungwha area, North Hwanghae Province,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported in a statement.

The statement explains that the missiles were launched towards the northeast, in apparent towards the sea of ​​japanknown as the East Sea in the two Koreas, and that South Korean and American authorities are conducting an analysis of the exact specifications. Pyongyang’s last missile test dated back to last May.

This Wednesday’s launch also occurs one week before Trump’s planned visit to South Korea, within the framework of the events of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The American president will initially travel to the South Korean city of Gyeongju and will likely spend one night there.

Trump will hold a summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinpingamid the recent strengthening of ties between Beijing and Pyongyang, following the presence of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-unat a major military parade in China in early September.

It is also the first North Korean missile test since the inauguration of the South Korean leader in early June.

Inter-Korean communication channels remain cut off from 2022, while Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected recent calls of the Lee Administration to reopen the dialogue. In fact, Trump, who will also travel to Japan, opened the door to a possible trilateral meeting with the leaders of the two Korean countries that seems to have amounted to nothing more than good intentions.

The last launch of similar characteristics by Pyongyang took place in May, the month in which it launched a short-range ballistic missile on the 8th and several cruise missiles on the 22nd, in both cases also into the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan.