Asia

Home page

Asia

N.Korea fires likely submarine-launched ballistic missile, S.Korea, Japan say

07 May 2022 12:56 (UTC +04:00)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Saturday, South Korea and Japan said, three days before the inauguration of South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has vowed to take a hard line against the North, APA reports citing Reuters.

South Korean military said that North Korea fired what is believed to be an submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) into the sea off its east coast around 0507 GMT on Saturday from a submarine around Sinpo, where North Korea keeps submarines as well as equipment for test-firing SLBMs.

Japan's Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said North Korea's recent development in nuclear missile-related technology and repeated launches of ballistic missiles threatened the region and the international community.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," he told reporters, adding that Japan will continue to "strengthen defence capabilities drastically" to protect citizens from such security threats.

Kishi said it is possible for North Korea to complete nuclear test preparations as early as this month, and take further provocative acts.