North Korea launches ballistic missile hours before Japan-South Korea talks
North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday, hours before South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was due to fly to Japan for the first summit in years, reported PTI. The meeting would reportedly see the leaders of the two countries discuss ways to counter nuclear-armed Pyongyang. Meanwhile, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea had launched a banned ICBM.
North Korea's 3rd weapons testing this week
According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff statement, the long-range missile, fired at 7.10 am, flew about 1,000 km before landing in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The ICBM was launched at a steep angle and seemed to have flown higher than 6,000 km for about 70 minutes, Japan's defense ministry said. This was Pyongyang's third weapons testing this week.
