North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of APEC summit in Seoul

North Korea launched at least one unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea on October 22, South Korea’s military reported.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the launch was detected at around 8:20 a.m. local time. The military has yet to provide further details regarding the missile’s type, trajectory, or range.

This marks Pyongyang’s first missile test since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration took office in June. The North’s previous launches took place in May, when it fired short-range ballistic and cruise missiles toward the East Sea on May 8 and May 22, respectively.

The timing of the launch is seen as particularly significant, coming just days before South Korea is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from October 31 to November 1.

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the media that the missile did not fly over the country’s exclusive economic zone.

According to Kyodo News, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to collect detailed information on North Korea’s latest missile launch and conduct a thorough analysis.

By Vugar Khalilov