North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un has overseen several the launch of several projectiles this year as he seeks to expand his missile arsenals amid growing tensions in East Asia
North Korea has launched a mystery projectile into the ocean in its latest horrifying weapons test ordered by Kim Jong Un.
South Korean military chiefs said the unidentified projectile was fired off the peninsula’s west coast on Tuesday. It is the North’s latest weapons test this year.
It was reported the projectiles flew an estimated range of 49 miles before falling into the Yellow Sea. Seoul continues to monitor the situation and is sharing information with neighbouring Japan as well as the US.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details. It comes after another launch by the North on April 19 in which it fired multiple short-range missiles in what state media described as a demonstration of cluster bomb warheads.
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North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un has made expanding his nuclear and missiles arsenals a top aim since nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. Trump has regularly expressed his desire to resume talks with Kim but Pyongyang has so far ignored the overtures and urged Washington to drop demands for the North’s nuclear disarmament as a precondition for talks.
Kim has maintained a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he declared to be the North’s permanent and most hostile enemy while diplomacy efforts continue to stall and tensions rise over Kim’s nuclear ambitions.
The launch this week came hours after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a Cabinet meeting called for stronger efforts to advance the country’s military. He has emphasised artificial intelligence and drone capabilities and the potential acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine, an issue that has been part of his diplomacy with Washington.
Lee did not make specific comment about the threats posed by North Korea, but stressed the importance of South Korea demonstrating the “resolve to take responsibility for and protect our own security ourselves,” saying such a posture would also strengthen the country’s alliance with the United States.
This week’s launch comes amid growing speculation that Xi Jinping could visit the North over the summer, a South Korean source told the country’s news agency Yonhap. South Korean officials have called for peaceful cooperation with Pyongyang, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il commenting: “We once again call on North Korea to respond to our peace policy and efforts to ease tensions.”
