Seoul, South Korea (AP) Japan’s military said on Wednesday it had detected North Korea had tested two ballistic missiles, marking an intensified military display by Japan amid rising tensions with Washington and neighboring countries.
The launch came just days after North Korea gave a rare public display of a secret facility built to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb in a major show of defiance against the United States and leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of its nuclear weapons program.
Japan’s Defense Ministry did not immediately release details about the type of missile used in North Korea’s latest test, such as its range.
The Japan Coast Guard said the missile appears to have already fallen in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and urged ships to be on the lookout for falling objects. Japan’s NHK television reported that the missile appeared to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The launch followed a series of ballistic tests last week that saw Kim vow to fully prepare his nuclear arsenal to take on rivals.
North Korea has been stepping up its weapons testing activities since 2022 to expand and modernize its arsenal of nuclear missiles aimed at the United States and South Korea.
Analysts say North Korea could test a nuclear explosion or a long-range missile ahead of the US presidential election in November in an attempt to influence the outcome and gain leverage in future negotiations with the new US administration.
