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North Korea fired a ballistic missile in an eastward direction on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, the North’s first weapons testing activity in about five months.
A brief statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew.
North Korea usually test-launches missiles in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, causing no damage in neighboring countries. But the Joint Chiefs of Staff statement only said the latest missile was launched in an eastward direction.
The launch comes days before South Korea hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference. U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders are to gather in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.
Experts earlier said North Korea could launch provocative missile tests before or during the APEC summit to underscore its commitment to being recognized as a nuclear weapons state. Experts say Kim would need that status to call for the U.N. to lift punishing economic sanctions on it.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been sharply accelerating the pace of weapons tests since since his high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019 due to wrangling over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea. But last month, Kim suggested he could return to talks if the U.S. drops its demand for a denuclearization of North Korea, after Trump repeatedly expressed his hopes for a new round of diplomacy.
Earlier this month, Kim displayed a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a massive military parade in Pyongyang, with top Chinese, Russian and other leaders present. The parade, which marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party, highlighted Kim’s growing diplomatic footing and his relentless drive to build an arsenal that could strike the U.S. and its allies. Analysts say Kim would believe an expanded nuclear arsenal would increase his leverage in potential talks with the U.S.
North Korea’s state media said the Oct. 10 parade featured the Hwasong-20 ICBM, which it described as the country’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system.” Observers said the ICBM is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads to defeat U.S. missile defenses and that North Korea could test-launch it in coming months.
Kim’s diplomatic credentials have been bolstered recently. He took center stage with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Beijing military parade last month. Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have also repeatedly expressed hopes to meet Kim as he flaunts a provocative nuclear program.
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Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.
