North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, its first reported test in almost two months, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The launch, fired off the country’s east coast on Wednesday, follows a pledge North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made to boost the country’s military capabilities in 2022 at a Workers’ Party meeting last week, the Associated Press reported.
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The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the missile launch does not create an immediate threat to the United States, Japan, or South Korea, adding the U.S. commitment to its allies in the region is “ironclad.”
“We are aware of the ballistic missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” it said in a statement. “The ballistic missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons program.”
Officials from South Korea and Japan also confirmed and condemned the launch. South Korean officials said this highlights the importance of resuming negotiations with North Korea.
Discussions with North Korea over its nuclear program collapsed in 2019 following disagreements about sanctions relief. Negotiations over nuclear weapons and other key areas have not picked up much since, but President Joe Biden has signaled openness to resuming discussions.
Recently, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong suggested that the U.S. and South Korea reached an agreement on draft language to end the Korea War formally. However, North Korea said it would not agree to end the war until the U.S. ended its “hostile policy.”
In response to reports of the missile-firing, North Korea’s key ally in the region, China, said both sides should be cautious with their actions.
“All relevant parties shall bear in mind the overall interests, speak and act prudently, adhere to the right direction of dialogue and negotiation, and work together to promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Wednesday.
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Wednesday marks the first reported provocative ballistic missile launch from North Korea since last October, when North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile prior to the scheduled arrival of the U.S. envoy for North Korean policy in Seoul.
Ballistic missiles are advanced rocket systems that can potentially be used to carry nuclear weapons.
