North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Toward Japan Ahead Of US-South Korea Drills

No th
Ko ea
test-fi ed
a
ballistic
missile
off
its
east
coast
towa ds
Japa
ea ly
o
Wed esday,
its
eighbo s
said,
just
days
befo e
US-South
Ko ea
Joi t
Milita y
d ills
which
Pyo gya g
views
as
i vasio
ehea sals.

This
is
the
seco d
such
test
i
less
tha
a
week.

“Ou
milita y
detected
at
a ou d
6:00
am
(2100
GMT
o
Tuesday)
a
ballistic
missile
lau ched
by
No th
Ko ea
f om
the
Wo sa
a ea
towa ds
the
East
Sea,”
Seoul’s
Joi t
Chiefs
of
Staff
said
i
a
message
to
epo te s.

Japa ‘s
Defe ce
Mi iste
Shi ji o
Koizumi
called
the
lau ch
a
“th eat
to
peace
a d
secu ity
i
ou
egio ,”
addi g
that
Tokyo
had
lodged
a
st o g
p otest
with
No th
Ko ea
th ough
diplomatic
cha els
i
Beiji g.

“It’s
a
se ious
p oblem
that
affects
the
safety
of
the
Japa ese
people,”
he
said
at
a
p ess
co fe e ce.

He e’s
what
we
k ow
about
No th
Ko ea’s
test-lau ch
f om
Japa :

• No th
  Ko ea
  lau ched
  at
  least
  o e
  ballistic
  missile
  o
  Wed esday
  mo i g
• Details
  we e
  u de
  close
  joi t
  a alysis
  betwee
  Japa ,
  the
  US
  a d
  South
  Ko ea
• Missile
  estimated
  to
  have
  falle
  outside
  Japa ‘s
  exclusive
  eco omic
  zo e
  i
  the
  Sea
  of
  Japa
• Japa ‘s
  p ime
  mi iste
  issued
  i st uctio s
  to
  mai tai
  a
  complete
  state
  of
  eadi ess
• No
  epo ts
  of
  damage
  have
  bee
  co fi med

No th’s
message
ahead
of
joi t
milita y
d ills

The
suspected
ballistic
missile
lau ch
came
just
two
days
afte
South
Ko ea
a d
the
US
a ou ced
that
they
will
kick
off
thei
a ual
joi t
milita y
d ills
o
August
17.

The
upcomi g
d ills
a e
a
egula
summe
featu e,
desig ed
to
coo di ate
thei
defe se
agai st
the
uclea -a med
Pyo gya g.

No th
Ko ea
has
co dem ed
these
d ills
o
seve al
occasio s
befo e,
ofte
stagi g
missile
tests
befo e
a d
afte
the
exe cises.

“No th
Ko ea
has
eve
simply
let
a
South
Ko ea-US
joi t
milita y
exe cise
pass
without
a
espo se,”
said
Lim
Eul-chul,
a
No th
Ko ea
expe t
at
Kyu g am
U ive sity.

“This
is
a
message
that
Pyo gya g
is
closely
watchi g
the
upcomi g
d ills
a d
could
stage
a
p ovocatio
if
it
deems
o e
ecessa y,”
he
said.

Afte
last
yea ‘s
d ills
bega ,
No th
Ko ea
leade
Kim
Jo g
U
claimed
the
exe cise
had
g ow
mo e
p ovocative
tha
befo e
a d
showed
Seoul
a d
Washi gto ‘s
“will
to
ig ite
a
wa .”
He
said
it
had
p ompted
No th
Ko ea
to
espo d
with
“p oactive
a d
ove whelmi g& dquo;
cou te measu es.

O
August
6,
the
US,
South
Ko ea
a d
Japa
detected
the
lau ch
of
a
sho t- a ge
ballistic
missile
f om
the
No th
i
what
was
its
fi st
ballistic
weapo s
testi g
activity
si ce
late
Ju e.

Pyo gya g,
which
ususally
eleases
details
of
tests
a
day
late ,
did
ot
i itially
co fi m
the
lau ch.

Disclaime :
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epo t
fi st
appea ed
o


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Welle,
a d
has
bee
epublished
o


ABP
Live
as
pa t
of
a
special
a a geme t.
Apa t
f om
the
headli e,
o
cha ges
have
bee
made
i
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epo t
by


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