North Korea said it conducted a ballistic missile test launch on Wednesday, the second missile test in less than a week, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a ballistic missile fired from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area around 6 a.m. flew more than 435 miles. The Japanese Defense Ministry also detected the launch, saying the weapon landed in waters outside its exclusive economic zone, between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, AP wrote.
Last week, on Aug. 6, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan also detected a launch of a short-range ballistic missile. It was the latest ballistic missile test since June.
U.S. Pacific Command on Aug. 6 said it was aware of a “recent launch” from the DPRK.
“Based on current assessments, these events do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies,” PACOM said.
It released the same statement on Aug. 11, a day prior to the reported second missile launch.
The Office of Homeland Security and Civil Defense said it was aware of the situation, though specifics of the launch rest with Joint Region Marianas.
North Korea’s Aug. 6 launch came amid U.S.-South Korea military drills.
AP reported that the U.S. announced its annual large-scale military drills on Aug. 17 with the South, “to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.”