North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, officials in Japan and South Korea claimed, marking the nuclear-armed state's first display of military strength this year.
The launch came moments before South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a train line that he hopes would eventually link the Korean peninsula's divided peninsula.
The first launch since October reaffirmed leader Kim Jong Un's New Year commitment to enhance the military in order to fight an uncertain geopolitical environment caused by stalled talks with South Korea and the United States.
Initially, Japan's coast guard officials disclosed that the projectile could be a ballistic missile, but provided no further details..
According to Japan's defense minister, the suspected ballistic missile traveled around 500 kilometers.
"North Korea has repeatedly fired missiles since 2021, which is really regretful," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in quotes by Reuters.
It was reported early on Wednesday morning by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff that North Korea had fired a suspected ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast.
It stated that South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies were analyzing more information regarding the launch.
Between September and November, North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests in what observers described as a bid to increase pressure on its adversaries to recognize it as a nuclear power state in exchange for respite from economic sanctions.
A submarine-launched ballistic missile and a prototype hypersonic missile were among the weapons tested. North Korea has ceased testing activity following its artillery firing drills in early November, until Wednesday's launch.
The test comes days after a critical party gathering focused primarily on the pandemic-ravaged economy, while leader Kim Jong Un pledged to continue bolstering the country's defenses but made no explicit mention of weaponry.
North Korea is prohibited by United Nations sanctions from conducting ballistic missile testing.
Denuclearization discussions have been frozen since the failure of a high-profile second summit between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.
Meanwhile, Kim's New Year's address included no mention of South Korea's efforts to revive stalled negotiations or U.S. offers to speak, though observers highlighted that this does not indicate he has closed the door on communication.
The Biden administration has stated repeatedly that it is willing to resume nuclear dialogue with North Korea "anywhere and at any time."
Until now, the North has ignored such overtures, claiming that U.S. enmity against it remains unaltered.
