North Korea reportedly fired two ballistic missiles in a test on Friday to mark its fourth missile launch in January, exerting the nation’s military strength to begin the new year.
The latest video released on Saturday from the state-controlled Pyongyang Broadcast Service showed two missiles fired in a claimed January 14 launch. The two missiles were shot from a train car and into the sea in a firing drill the outlet says was “guided by commanding officials of the Korean People’s Army and leading officials of the Academy of Defense Science.”
“South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea likely fired two short-range ballistic missiles from an area in Sunan, the site of Pyongyang’s international airport. The missiles were launched four minutes apart and flew about 380 kilometers (236 miles) with a maximum altitude of 42 kilometers (26 miles) before landing in waters off the country’s northeastern coast, it said,” according to the Associated Press.
“The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the missiles did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to its allies, but highlighted the destabilizing impact of North Korea’s “illicit” weapons program. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno condemned the actions as threats to peace,” it added.
The missile launch follows an event last Monday when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly halted all flights at West Coast airports following reports of a North Korean ballistic missile fired into the Sea of Japan.
The order lasted approximately seven minutes, according to reports regarding the San Diego International Airport.
“Sabrina LoPiccolo, spokeswoman for the airport, told Newsweek that the airport was instructed by air traffic of a national ground stop about 2:30 p.m. Pacific time. No reason was given for the stop, which lasted about five to seven minutes, she said,” Newsweek reported.
“We really don’t have any more details,” she said.
#ICYMI FAA issues ground stop, North Korea ballistic missile test suspected reason.
Flights Briefly Grounded at West Coast Airports Over Suspected North Korean Missile Test. https://t.co/3RsIINVZt8— @Mike_Coletta (@Mike_Coletta) January 11, 2022
Last October, the U.N. Security Council reportedly called for an emergency meeting to take place after North Korea said it successfully launched a ballistic missile from a submarine. The Daily Wire previously reported:
“North Korea test-fired a new, smaller ballistic missile from a submarine, state media confirmed on Wednesday, a move that analysts said could be aimed at more quickly fielding an operational missile submarine,” Reuters reported. “The statement from state media came a day after South Korea’s military reported that it believed North Korea had fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast, the latest in a string of North Korean missile tests.”
CBS Evening News host Norah O’Donnell reported that the U.N. Security Council had called for an emergency meeting over the incident.
“The U.N. Security Council has just announced that it will hold an emergency meeting after North Korea launched a new ballistic missile,” O’Donnell said. “These are the first pictures of what the North Koreans say is a missile being launched from a submarine, which would be a major advance for the country’s military.”
“And the timing could be deliberate, President Biden’s special envoy for North Korea will reportedly meet with allies in South Korea about reviving those nuclear talks with Kim Jong Un,” she added.