North Korea has fired a ballistic missile towards the East Sea, South Korea’s military said on Saturday, days after Seoul demanded an apology over a landmine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area and travelled more than 700 kilometres.
South Korea, the United States and Japan are maintaining close information-sharing and a strong defence posture in response to North Korea’s missile activities, the military said.
The launch came after South Korea and the US-led United Nations Command concluded that a blast in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) last month was caused by North Korean mines placed on the South Korean side of the border.
North Korea has denied responsibility for the explosion and criticised Seoul’s demand for an apology.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described South Korea’s demand as “quite ridiculous” and dismissed Seoul’s efforts to restart dialogue as a “wild dream”.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had called for dialogue with Pyongyang despite the military’s demand for an apology over the DMZ incident.
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also proposed talks with North Korea on border issues, but Kim Yo Jong rejected the proposal.
Analysts described the missile launch as a show of force and a rejection of Seoul’s diplomatic overtures.
The latest development comes as US President Donald Trump has renewed efforts to engage North Korea, raising concerns in South Korea about being sidelined in possible future talks over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
