WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) – North Korea’s launch of a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea, located between China and the Korean Peninsula, does not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on Thursday.
“We are aware of the ballistic missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,” it said, referring to weapons of mass destruction.
North Korea on Thursday fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea, located between China and the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s military said.
The launch follows a statement on Tuesday by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, that any move to shoot down one of North Korea’s test missiles would be considered a declaration of war.
The missile was fired at about 6:20 p.m. (0920 GMT) from around the North Korean city of Nampo, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
On Tuesday, North Korea blamed a joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea for growing tensions, state media KCNA said.
The United States and South Korea will conduct large-scale military exercises known as the “Freedom Shield” drills starting next week.
“Since September 2022, North Korea has timed its missile launches and military demonstrations to counter U.S.–South Korea exercises probably to attempt to coerce the United States and South Korea to change their behaviour,” U.S. intelligence agencies said in a threat assessment report on Wednesday.
