North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast on Sunday, ahead of planned military drills by South Korean and United States forces involving the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and a US Vice-President Kamala Harris visit to the region.

South Korea’s servicemen stated it was a single, short-range ballistic missile fired from near the Taechon area of North Pyongyang Province. It flew approximately 600km at an altitude of 60km and a speed of Mach 5.

Reuters reported about this.

“North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile is an act of grave provocation that threatens the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and international community,” says the statement of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

After the launch, Kim Seung-kyum, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, and Paul LaCamera, US Forces Korea Commander, reaffirmed their readiness to respond to any threat or provocation from North Korea.

Yasukazu Hamada, Japan’s Defence Minister, claimed that as per Japan’s estimations, it reached maximum altitude at 50km and may have flown on an irregular trajectory. He said it fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. There were no reports of problems with shipping or air traffic.

“This is the nineteenth launch if you include launches of cruise missiles, which is an unprecedented pace,” Hamada said.

He also noted that North Korea’s actions represent a threat to the peace and security of the region and the international community.

“Considering the Ukraine invasion unfolding, this is unforgivable,” said Japan’s Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada.

The publication notes that many of the short-range missiles tested by North Korea in recent years have been designed to evade missile defenses by manoeuvering during flight and flying on a lower, “depressed” trajectory.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the launch and consulting closely with allies.

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the statement said.

What happened prior?

It was the first incident of North Korea making such a launch after firing eight short-range ballistic missiles in one day in early June, which led the US to call for more sanctions for violating United Nations Security Council resolutions.

At the same time, North Korea rejects UN resolutions as an infringement of its sovereign right to self-defense and space exploration and has criticized previous joint drills by the US and South Korea.

The drills have also been criticized by Russia and China, which have called on all sides not to take steps that raise tensions in the region.

After Pyongyang conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests, the US and South Korea stated that they would increase the joint drills.

As previously reported, North Korea has denied supplying its weapons to the Russian Federation.