North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile

Seoul, Mar 5 (EFE).- North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile on Saturday, which fell into the Sea of Japan, the South Korean government reported.

In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch from Sunan area in Pyongyang at 8.48 am (23:48 GMT Friday).

Sunan district is home to the capital’s international airport and is the place from which the regime launched what South Korea said was a ballistic missile less than a week ago.

In that launch, the regime claimed to have fired a test projectile as part of the development of a reconnaissance satellite.

This launch, which comes four days out from the South Korean presidential election, brings the total to a record nine of this type carried out this year by the North Korean regime, which has said it is promoting the development of a series of weapons agreed upon in the sole-party congress in early 2021.

The Japanese government said it also believes that what was launched Saturday was a ballistic missile, just like last week, and that the projectile seems to have fallen outside its exclusive economic zone.

The presidential office in Seoul has called a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the launch. EFE

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