A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 18, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korea launches at least one ballistic missile
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- The test follows a DMZ landmine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers, attributed by Seoul to North Korean placement.
- South Korea and the UN Command demanded an official apology for the border landmine incident.
- Kim Yo-jong rejected South Korea's demands as "vile" and denied involvement prior to the missile launch.
North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military reported, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions following a dispute over a landmine explosion along the heavily fortified border.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the detection of the launch in a statement, noting that the missile originated from North Korea’s coastal region of Wonsan.
"Our military detected at least one ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area in North Korea toward the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
Landmine explosion
The missile launch came a day after Pyongyang rejected claims that it was responsible for a landmine blast last month that injured three South Korean soldiers operating inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the mine-littered buffer zone separating the two nations since the 1953 armistice agreement.
Following investigations, South Korean military officials and the United Nations Command concluded that the explosion was caused by North Korean landmines planted on the South Korean side of the border.
In response to the findings, South Korea’s military formally demanded an official apology from Pyongyang earlier in the week.
South Korea urges dialogue, North rejects
Following the military's demand for an apology, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who advocates for a policy of engagement and openness, publicly urged North Korea to return to diplomatic dialogue.
However, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a harsh rebuttal on Friday, describing South Korea’s stance as "vile" and reiterating that Pyongyang had no connection to the landmine incident.
The ballistic missile launch occurred hours after her statement was released.
