North Korea fires a new “unidentified projectile”, according to the South Korean army – Le Monde

North Korea fired an “unidentified projectile” on Thursday, March 24, the South Korean military said, Pyongyang extending a series of numerous launches since the start of the year. The fire was directed “to the east”, said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement. The Japanese coast guard, for their part, issued a warning message to the ships about what would be “a ballistic missile which would have been fired from North Korea”. Later in the morning, the latter specified that the North Korean projectile had fallen 170 kilometers from the Japanese coast, in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, added the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Japanese authorities suspect it to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). “Our analyzes indicate that the ballistic missile flew for seventy-one minutes and fell at around 3:44 p.m. local time (7:44 a.m. Paris time) in the exclusive economic zone, in the Sea of ​​Japan, about 150 kilometers away. west of the Oshima peninsula” (northern island of Hokkaido), said the number two of the Ministry of Defense, Makoto Oniki. “Since the ballistic missile this time flew at an altitude of more than 6,000 km – which is much higher than the [missile] ICBM Hwasong-15 which was launched in November 2017 – the one today is believed to be a new ICBM,” he added. Oniki said Japan’s defense ministry had not received any reports of damage to ships or aircraft, but called the launch a “serious threat” to Japan’s security. “At a time when the world is facing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea continues its firing, which unilaterally escalates provocations against the international community, which is absolutely unforgivable,” Oniki said. . Read also Article reserved for our subscribers North Korea threatens to resume nuclear missile testing Stalled diplomacy Pyongyang has been abiding by a self-imposed moratorium on testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear weapons since its Leader Kim Jong-un embarked on a series of high-profile diplomatic meetings with then-US President Donald Trump in 2018. The talks broke down and efforts by current US President Joe Biden to open new negotiations have failed to break the diplomacy impasse. Pyongyang began hinting in January that it might break the moratorium and conducted a record number of weapons tests in the first quarter, firing hypersonic missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles, both banned. Read the analysis: Article reserved for our subscribers North Korea’s latest missile launch dampens ongoing diplomatic initiatives According to the South Korean military, North Korea fired a ballistic missile last week, but the attempt ended in total failure. Analysts have speculated that the misfire was a Hwasong-17, nicknamed the “monster missile”, an ICBM that has never been launched. The North also appears to have carried out multiple rocket launchers on Sunday. The World with AFP