SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Tuesday test-fired a number of missiles towards its japanese waters, South Korea’s navy mentioned, because it continued its weapons demonstrations forward of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff mentioned the short-range ballistic missiles have been fired from a northern inland space and flew about 155 miles earlier than touchdown in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The joint chiefs mentioned the South Korean navy has strengthened surveillance whereas sharing the launch info with the U.S. and Japanese militaries. It mentioned it strongly condemns the take a look at, describing it as a “clear provocation” that poses a critical risk to the area’s peace and stability.
It was North Korea’s second launch occasion of 2025, following a ballistic launch last week.
North Korea mentioned the Jan. 6 take a look at was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike distant targets within the Pacific as chief Kim Jong Un vowed to additional develop his assortment of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations.
North Korea is coming off a torrid yr in weapons testing. The techniques it demonstrated in 2024 included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to strike the U.S. mainland and varied shorter-range missiles designed to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea. There are considerations that its navy capabilities might advance additional by way of know-how transfers from Russia, as the 2 international locations align over the war in Ukraine.
At a year-end political convention, Kim vowed to implement the “hardest” anti-U.S. coverage and criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen safety cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, which he described as a “nuclear navy bloc for aggression.”
North Korean state media didn’t specify Kim’s coverage plans or point out any particular feedback about Trump. During his first time period as president, Trump met Kim 3 times for talks on the North’s nuclear program.
Even if Trump returns to the White House, a fast resumption of diplomacy with North Korea might be unlikely. Kim’s strengthened place — constructed on his expanded nuclear arsenal, deepening alliance with Russia and the weakening enforcement of U.S. worldwide sanctions — presents new challenges to resolving the nuclear standoff, consultants say.
