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Kim Jon Un‘s nation North Korea reportedly fired a short-range ballistic missile on Thursday toward the Yellow Sea, located between China and the Korean Peninsula.
What Happened: The suspected short-range ballistic missile was fired at about 6:20 p.m. local time (4.20 a.m. EST) from around the North Korean city of Nampo, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, reported Yonhap news agency.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff added that their military was on high alert and “maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States,” stated the Yonhap report.
This launch follows a threat by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un. She had warned the U.S. of severe consequences if they proceeded with joint military exercises with South Korea.
Kim Yo Jong said on Tuesday that any action move by the U.S. to shoot down North Korea’s test missiles would be considered a “declaration of war” by Pyongyang.
Why It’s Important: The launch is significant because it occurs just before a major South Korea-U.S. military exercise, scheduled to begin next week, reported Yonhap. Last month, Pyongyang had warned Seoul and Washington of “unprecedentedly constant, strong responses” should they proceed with the combined drills.
On Wednesday, top U.S. intelligence agents also warned that Kim Jong Un would “probably” conduct a nuclear test soon and added that he would likely continue firing nuclear-capable missiles “to normalize Pyongyang’s missile testing.”
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