According to its southern neighbor, North Korea fired a ballistic missile at the ocean.

South Korea The launch was detected by the military from the North’s Eastern coastal Wonsan at 10.48 AM, according to a statement released by the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It flew approximately 240km (149 mi), and reached a height of 47km.

North Korea threatened “fiercer military reactions” to US efforts in the region to increase its security presence with its allies. Washington said it is making a mistake and taking a “gamble that will be regretted”.

Advertisement

South Korea claimed it has increased its surveillance of North Korea while maintaining military readiness in close coordination with the US.

Choe Son Hue, the North Korean foreign minister, warned earlier on Thursday that tensions on the Korean Peninsula would be “more unpredictable” after the recent US-South Korea summit agreement on the North.

This was North Korea’s official response to President Joe Biden’s summit with South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

These three leaders strongly condemned North’s missile testing and agreed to cooperate to increase deterrence.

Biden reiterated the US commitment to South Korea and Japan defense with all its capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

North Korea insists that its recent weapons testing activities were legitimate counteractions for military drills between the US and South Korean forces. It views these as an opportunity to launch attacks against the North.

Washington and Seoul both stated that their exercises were defensive in nature.