North Korea's Ballistic Missile Crashes Into Sea After Abnormality During Flight North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward waters off its east coast on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The missile was launched from the Wonsan area around 2:20 p.m. local time (05:20 GMT) and fell into the sea approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing military officials. The missile traveled eastward before showing signs of “abnormality” during its early flight and disappearing from the trajectory. Japan’s Coast Guard confirmed the missile did not enter Japanese territorial waters or its exclusive economic zone. South Korea’s military officials described the anomaly as a critical issue during the missile’s flight path. The incident followed a series of recent test-launches by North Korea, including multiple short-range ballistic missiles fired from the same Wonsan area the previous day. Those earlier missiles traveled about 240 kilometers (150 miles) before landing in the sea, prompting analysis by South Korean and U.S. authorities. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Minoru Kihara, condemned the test-launch, calling it a threat to regional and international peace and security. South Korea’s presidential Blue House convened an emergency National Security Council meeting shortly after the launch, accusing Pyongyang of provocation and violating UN Security Council resolutions. The South Korean government urged North Korea to halt such tests. This marks North Korea’s fourth, fifth, and sixth ballistic missile launches this year, following two tests in January and a third in March. Experts monitoring the launches noted they are part of Kim Jong Un’s ongoing weapons development program.#south_korea #north_korea #yonhap_news_agency #joint_chiefs_of_staff #minoru_kihara
