North Korea has confirmed the country’s most recent missile test. The state-run news agency KCNA reported yesterday that ruler Kim Jong Un has overseen the test of a „newly developed, large-caliber“ missile system.
This will play a key role in military ground operations, KCNA reported. The South Korean forces had previously stated that North Korea had fired two ballistic missiles from its east coast. The projectiles had flown about 250 kilometers and crashed into the eastern sea, which is also known as the Japanese Sea.
The test came less than a week after North Korea fired two short-range missiles. Pyongyang spoke of a „warning“ to South Korea in view of the planned joint military maneuvers of Seoul with the United States. The missile test was criticized internationally sharply. Several UN resolutions prohibit Pyongyang’s ballistic missile test.
South Korea’s military reports flight of a North Korean soldier
Meanwhile, South Korea’s army has detained a North Koreans who crossed the heavily guarded border between the two countries. The deserted soldier crossed the Demilitarized Zone during the night, the South Korean General Staff said. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, a North Korean soldier had recently moved south across the border in December.
Every year, hundreds of North Koreans flee to South Korea. However, the typical escape route runs across the North Korean border to China. Defectors crossing the inter-Korean border are rare, not least because they are highly fortified, secured by fences and guarded by soldiers.
