South Korea: North Korea launches missile into sea

In a record-breaking year, North Korea launched a record-breaking number of ballistic missiles off its east coast.

South Korea’s defense ministry said the North fired a short-range missile at 6:53 a.m. ET. According to Japan’s Coast Guard, the missile landed within 10 minutes of launch.

South Korea’s presidential office warned earlier that it had detected signs that North Korea was preparing to fire an SLBM from its east coast city of Sinpo.

North Korea has now fired 32 ballistic missiles in 2022, the most ever. It has launched both short-range missiles designed to evade US missile defenses and longer-range missiles that target the U.S. mainland.

North Korea is preparing for it’s 8 conduct

As well as preparing for its seventh nuclear test, North Korea is preparing to conduct its eighth.

Despite saying it is open to negotiations, the United States has also increased military displays with its ally, South Korea. The United States and South Korea are conducting their annual joint military exercises, which North Korea has called a rehearsal for invasion.

The exercises have been conducted for decades, but they have become more complicated since N. Korea acquired nuclear weapons in 2017. N. Korea sees them as a sign of aggression and has previously responded with missile tests or other provocations.

This week, the USS Ronald Reagan arrived in Busan, a South Korean port city. Korea’s military will soon drill with the carrier.

This is the first U.S. aircraft carrier visit in about four years. This month, the United States and South Korea concluded their first joint military exercises since 2017.

In 2018, US and South Korean military drills were scaled back or spread out during increased diplomacy with N. Korea. In 2019, the North abandoned those talks and resumed missile tests.

The North accuses the United States of conducting a hostile policy, ignoring U.S. calls for dialogue.