North Korea launched another ballistic missile early Tuesday, South Korea’s military reported, marking the regime’s second launch in less than a week and happening just as Americans prepare to vote in the U.S. presidential election.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the missile, fired from North Korea’s east coast into the Sea of Japan, is under analysis. Tokyo confirmed the launch as a suspected ballistic missile, according to the Japanese prime minister’s office.
Last Thursday, North Korea tested its most advanced solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), claiming it was a deterrent response to joint military drills conducted Sunday by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, which involved heavy bombers and fighter jets. North Korea views such exercises as invasions-in-training.
In a Tuesday statement, Kim Yo Jong, the sister and advisor of leader Kim Jong Un, called the joint drill proof of U.S. and regional hostility. She warned that any disruption to regional power balances could trigger war.
Experts suggest Pyongyang may be escalating tests as a strategy to attract attention, despite claims that it’s covertly assisting Russia in the Ukraine conflict. South Korea has also accused the North of sending troops to Russia, possibly in exchange for technology, and is contemplating weapons support for Ukraine in response.