North Korea launches a new ballistic missile, the second in less than 24 hours

The United States, South Korea and Japan condemn the launch

Early this Monday, South Korea denounced the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile into the Sea of ​​Japan, the second in the last 24 hours, amid growing tensions in the region.

The South Korean Army has reported that the North Korean authorities launched a long-range missile at a high angle at around 8:24 a.m. (00:24 Spanish peninsular time) that flew approximately 1,000 kilometers.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff is carrying out an in-depth analysis, but recalled that this is the fifth launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which represents the largest number of launches of this type in a single year.

Seoul has condemned the actions of its northern neighbor and has indicated that it is a "clear" violation of UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit it from using ballistic missile technology.

Around 10:38 p.m. (2:38 p.m. Spanish time) on Sunday, Pyongyang launched a short-range missile that flew about 570 kilometers before falling into the Sea of ​​Japan, also known as the East Sea, according to the South Korean news agency. Yonhap.

These launches have taken place after a high-level meeting between Seoul and Washington, where both countries have discussed a future nuclear deterrent strategy towards Pyongyang and coincides with the commemoration of the 12th anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, father of the current president. , Kim Jong Un, December 17, 2011.

Also in the last few hours, a nuclear-powered American submarine has arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan precisely in a context of growing concern over the possibility that North Korea would end up launching an intercontinental ballistic missile this month.

After this, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry has denounced the alliance of the United States and South Korea, maintaining that it is an "open statement on nuclear confrontation to use nuclear weapons against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)".

"The intention of the United States, which sent the nuclear-powered submarine to the Korean peninsula, is clear (...) This critical situation puts pressure on our Armed Forces to opt for greater offensives," reads a statement collected by the agency. KCNA news.

For its part, the White House has reported that the National Security Advisors of the United States, South Korea and Japan - Jake Sullivan, Cho Taeyong and Akiba Takeo, respectively - have had a phone call regarding the intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korean to condemn the test and to underline the importance of coordinating responses to "the growing cooperation between North Korea and Russia."

"Sullivan reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan and the Republic of Korea, and advisors agreed that his commitment was an important exercise of the consultative commitment made at the historic Camp David trilateral summit in August," reads a statement. release.

Both officials have indicated that the trilateral meeting they held on December 9 in Seoul, the fourth of its kind during the Joe Biden Administration, had "allowed them to strengthen their coordination and resolve against the continued provocations" of Pyongyang.