N. Korea Fires Missiles after Takaichi’s Inauguration

Seoul/Tokyo, Oct. 22 (Jiji Press)–North Korea appears to have launched several short-range ballistic missiles Wednesday, the South Korean military said. Pyongyang is believed to have demonstrated its military strength to Japan and South Korea as the launch came a day after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office. The suspected missiles, launched northeast from Chunghwa in North Korea’s North Hwanghae Province, near Pyongyang, around 8:10 a.m., are believed to have fallen into an inland area of the country after traveling about 350 kilometers. It is the first North Korean ballistic missile launch detected since May, before South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated in June. In Tokyo on Wednesday, Takaichi told reporters at the prime minister’s office, “No projectile has been confirmed to have flown to Japan’s territorial waters or exclusive economic zone.” Japan, the United States and South Korea are working closely together, including sharing information on the latest launch, so that they can deal with any situation, she said, adding that no damage related to the suspected missile firing has been reported. The timing of the missile launch may also have been influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to South Korea ahead of the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Gyeongju, southeastern South Korea, from Oct. 31. Participants at the summit will include Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. A U.S.-China summit may also be arranged on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. Trump has expressed an eagerness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un although North Korea has shown no intention to denuclearize itself. North Korea demonstrated its presence through the missile firing, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a think tank affiliated with the South Korean government, said. The launch represented Pyongyang’s message that North Korea will steadfastly continue to strengthen its nuclear forces regardless of whether dialogue is held between the country and the United States, the researcher said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]