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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, in this photo taken Dec. 27, 2021, by the North Korean government. The North launched an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, Wednesday, South Korea's military said, in the reclusive regime's first show of force this year. AP-Yonhap |
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North Korea launched an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, Wednesday, South Korea's military said, in the reclusive regime's first show of force this year.
The North launched the missile eastward at around 8:10 a.m. from a land-based platform, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said without further elaboration.
"For additional information, the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.
South Korea's military in cooperation with the U.S. is closely watching related North Korean movements and maintaining a readiness posture against the possibility of additional launches, the JCS said.
It marks the North's first launch since the regime fired off a new submarine-launched ballistic missile in October last year.
The latest saber-rattling came just days after the North concluded a five-day Central Committee plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Friday, highlighting its key focus on economic issues and its pandemic response.
During the meetings, participants stressed the importance of boosting their country's defense capabilities, pointing to the growing instability of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not issue any particular messages for the South or the United States at the gathering, but the latest launch appears aimed partially at raising the stakes for future talks with the allies, analysts said.
Wednesday's launch could also be part of the North's wintertime drills, some observers said.
The launch came amid expectations the North could refrain from major strategic provocations that could undermine the mood for peace in the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics slated for next month. (Yonhap)
