Seoul, South Korea
Reuters
—
The South Korean military announced that North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the capital Pyongyang into the sea off the east coast at around 7:50 a.m. local time on Sunday.
North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch in two months comes as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to make a state visit to China starting Sunday, where the South Korean government says he plans to discuss peace on the peninsula.
“Our military is increasing surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, adding that it was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the missile appears to have already fallen.
North Korea last conducted a ballistic missile test in November.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than doubling production capacity for tactical guided weapons during a visit to a munitions factory on Saturday, according to North Korean state media.
In recent weeks, Mr. Kim has repeatedly visited weapons factories and nuclear submarines and oversaw missile tests ahead of this year’s ninth Workers’ Party Congress to set key policy goals.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to welcome Li on a state visit starting Sunday.
Without giving details of the summit’s agenda, President Lee’s national security adviser Wie Song-lak said Seoul expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the peninsula.
Experts say Mr. Ri and Mr. Xi’s agenda includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, while North Korea has rejected Mr. Ri’s advances.
