Washington, Aug 6 (IANS) The US Military said Thursday that it is aware of a North Korean ballistic missile launch this week, reaffirming America’s defence commitment to regional allies.
US Pacific Command released a statement hours after Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea — a launch that came ahead of a major South Korea-US military exercise that the North has decried as a rehearsal for invasion.
“We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” the command said in a statement posted on its website, Yonhap News Agency reported.
“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defence of the US homeland and our allies in the region,” it added.
The North last tested a tactical ballistic missile, as well as new multiple rocket launchers and other weapons, on June 25.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the missile was launched from the eastern coastal Wonsan area in the North at around 5 pm, without providing further details about the missile.
“While strengthening monitoring and surveillance against potential additional launches, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture and closely sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan,” the JCS said.
The JCS said it is currently analysing the specifications of the launched missile together with the US side, adding the two sides have jointly detected and shared the North’s related movements from the initial stage of the launch.
Thursday’s launch came ahead of South Korea’s annual summertime joint military exercise with the US, Ulchi Freedom Shield, which is expected for later this month.
South Korea’s presidential national security office immediately convened a meeting attended by officials from the defence ministry and the JCS to instruct them to maintain an alert response posture and assess the impact of the launch on South Korea’s national security.
The office also labelled the North’s ballistic missile launch as a provocation that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and called for its immediate halt.
–IANS
ksk/dan
