SEOUL: North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, Seoul’s military said, days after Pyongyang staged live-fire exercises near the country’s tense maritime border with South Korea.

“Our military detected one suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from the Pyongyang area towards the East Sea at around 14:55 (0555 GMT),” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

The missile flew 1,000km, the JCS added, saying that authorities in Seoul, Washington and Tokyo were analysing the specifications.

“We strongly condemn the latest missile launch by North Korea as it is a clear provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,” it said.

Japan’s coast guard also confirmed a suspected missile launch by North Korea, citing information from the country’s defence ministry, and warning vessels to take care.

North Korea’s last missile test was of a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it fired into the East Sea on December 18.

The apparent test comes days after North Korea conducted a series of rare live-fire drills near its maritime border with the South, prompting counter-exercises and evacuation orders for some South Korean border islands.

Leader Kim Jong Un earlier this week branded Seoul his “principal enemy” and warned he would not hesitate to annihilate South Korea, as he toured major weapons factories.

“The historic time has come at last when we should define as a state most hostile toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea the entity called the Republic of Korea (South Korea),” Kim was reported as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Analysts said at the time that the change in language was significant, signifying a shift in Pyongyang’s approach to an “ultra-hawkish mode”.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2024