N. Korea missile launch alarms neighbours

North Korea has come under the spotlight once again after firing a missile into the east coast sea of the Korean Peninsula early on Tuesday morning.

CAPE TOWN, September 28 (ANA) – North Korea has come under the spotlight once again after firing a missile into the east coast sea of the Korean Peninsula early on Tuesday morning.

According to CNN, South Korean officials said in a statement that the missile was fired around 6.40am local time, just hours before the South was due to launch its new submarine.

“South Korean military is maintaining a readiness posture for potential additional launches,” South Korean Defence Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said in the press briefing.

He added that Pyongyang’s missile test was happening at a time when political stability on the Korean peninsula was critical.

Tuesday’s missile test was the third this month after testing its long-range cruise missile on September 11 and its ballistic missile on September 16.

According to Al Jazeera, South Korean and US authorities were analysing the details of the launch, while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was a ballistic missile and that his government had increased its surveillance.

Meanwhile at the UN General Assembly in New York, North Korean representative Kim Song said Pyongyang has a “right to self-defence” and criticised the United States for stationing nearly 30,000 troops in the South.

“We are just building up our national defence in order to defend ourselves and reliably safeguard the security and peace of the country,” said Kim.

Last Friday, leaders of the US, Japan, Australia and India met for their first in-person summit to discuss their concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. Following the two-hour meeting at the White House, the Quad urged North Korea to exercise diplomacy over its ballistic missile initiatives.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher