North Korea Conducts 2nd Missile Test In Less Than A Week

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile Tuesday morning, Jan. 11, 2022, the Japanese and South Korean governments said, with the second missile launch in less than a week coming after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged late last year to strengthen the nation's defenses, Kyodo News reported.

Photo Insert: The tests come amid Kim Jong-un's repeated claims to be shifting focus on addressing North Korea's economic and health crisis.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the projectile flew at least 700 kilometers at an altitude of about 60 km at 10 times the speed of sound and appears to be an advanced version of a ballistic missile Pyongyang launched last Wednesday.

JCS said the latest projectile was fired from the vicinity of the northern province of Jagang at around 7:27 a.m. The Japanese government said at least one projectile was fired eastward from inland around 7:25 a.m. and is estimated to have landed in the sea outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

"Our assessment (of the projectile) is that it is a more improved version compared to the ballistic missile that was launched on Jan. 5," the JCS said in a statement. The US Indo-Pacific Command called the latest projectile a ballistic missile and said the US is "consulting closely with our allies and partners."

The Japanese government said that the projectile is likely to have traveled less than 700 km, assuming it flew on a traditional ballistic missile trajectory and that there have been no reports of damage to ships or aircraft.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the spate of North Korean actions, saying, "It is extremely regrettable that the country has repeatedly carried out missile launches."

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Kishida said that Japan will strengthen monitoring of North Korea's military activities and that he has instructed relevant ministers and officials to make the utmost efforts to collect information on the launch while ensuring the safety of planes and vessels in and around Japan. Kishida also asked officials to be prepared to respond to any emergency.

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