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North Korea on Thursday fired a long-range ballistic missile as leaders from Japan and South Korea are due to meet in Tokyo for a summit.
What Happened: Pyongyang has fired at least 10 missiles in the past two weeks – four this week and at least six last week – after Kim Jong Un ordered his army to prepare for “real war.”
North Korea on Monday fired cruise missiles from a submarine and sent short-range ballistic missiles across its territory into its eastern sea on Tuesday under Kim’s supervision.
The state media described the event as a simulated attack on an unspecified South Korean airfield and said the army was ready to “destroy the enemy” after recent drills.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said at least one unidentified ballistic missile was fired into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula early Thursday. The Japanese Defense Ministry also confirmed the launch and estimated that the missile would fall outside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), CNN reported.
North Korea last tested a long-range missile on Feb. 18. and this new launch marks the fourth intercontinental ballistic missile test in less than one year.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will be in Japan for a summit, which Seoul has hailed as “an important milestone” in the development of bilateral relations with Japan. Before departing for Japan, Yoon told the media that “there is an increasing need for Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time of a poly-crisis,” citing escalating nuclear and missile threats from Kim.
“We cannot afford to waste time while leaving strained Korea-Japan relations unattended,” Yoon said.
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Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.