Seoul: North Korea fired a ballistic missile Friday toward the sea off its east coast, marking another event in a recent series of missile launches conducted over the past two weeks. This development comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to renew discussions with North Korea.
According to Thai News Agency, South Korea's military reported that the suspected short-range missile was launched from an area in North Korea's northwest near the border with China, achieving a range of approximately 700 kilometers. Surveillance systems from both South Korea and the U.S. detected the missile's preparation for launch. The missile's trajectory was monitored, and the information was shared with Japan.
The Japanese government confirmed that North Korea had fired what seemed to be a missile, which was believed to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi reported that there were no confirmed incidents of damage.
Last week, during a visit to South Korea, Trump expressed his openness to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stirring hopes for a possible last-minute agreement on a meeting. Although no meeting took place, Trump mentioned his willingness to return to the region to meet with Kim.
Trump previously met with Kim at the demilitarized zone border village of Panmunjom in 2019 during his first term as U.S. president. Kim has not yet responded to Trump's latest offer but has previously expressed having "good memories" of his meeting with Trump and has indicated no reason to avoid talks if the U.S. ceases its insistence on North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons.