MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2022) The South Korean military detected the launch by North Korea of one short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea said in a statement.
"Our military at about 10:48 (01:48 a.m. GMT) on Thursday, November 17, detected the launch of one short-range ballistic missile by North Korea towards the Sea of Japan from the area of Wonsan, Kangwon Province," the JCS said.
The JCS specified that the North Korean missile flew about 240 kilometers (150 miles), reaching an altitude of 47 kilometers, with the Mach 4 speed (3,069 miles per hour).
The Japanese Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it did not record the fall of the missile within the country's exclusive economic zone or its territory, adding that the missile probably fell near the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
"Around 10:47 local time (01:47 GMT), North Korea fired one ballistic missile northeastward from the east coast. Details are being analyzed, but it (the missile) is believed to have fallen near the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula. No landings of ballistic missiles within Japan's exclusive economic zone or its territory have been confirmed," the ministry said in a press release.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, following the launch, ordered to make all possible efforts to collect and analyze information and carry out timely warning of the population, to ensure the safety of air and sea transport, and to take all necessary measures in case of unforeseen circumstances, the press release said.
"We strongly condemn the continued missile tests, which are a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community," the statement read.
On Friday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the US will enhance its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region if North Korea "keeps going down this road." On Sunday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's deterrence commitment in the face of North Korea's nuclear threats to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Earlier on Thursday, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned the United States and its allies in the region that Pyongyang will respond proportionally to Washington's bolstering of extended deterrence and intensification of provocative military activities in the region.
North Korea has conducted over 30 missile test launches since the start of 2022. On November 2, Pyongyang launched more than 20 missiles of various types. Pyongyang has said North Korea's military-related activities come in response to provocations by South Korea and its allies - the US and Japan.
