Seoul: North Korea fired a ballistic missile three days before the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-Yeol, who has vowed to take a hard line against Pyongyang.
South Korean military said North Korea tested what is believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast in the early hours of Saturday from Sinpo, where Pyongyang has a major shipyard.
Read: North Korea warns of nuclear response if South Korea provokes
The event also attracted the condemnation of Japan as her defence ministry said that the projectile could be a ballistic missile. Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing government sources, said the projectile landed outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered officials to prepare for all “unforeseeable situations” and secure the safety of aircraft and ships, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
The launch was North Korea’s first demonstration of a submarine-fired ballistic system since October last year when it test-launched a new short-range missile from the 8.24 Yongung – its only known submarine capable of firing a missile.
Read: North Korea tests intercontinental ballistic missile system
