North Korea has launched possible ballistic missile off east coast: Japan’s Coast Guard

North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday in a first such test by Pyongyang in the New Year, 2022, Japan’s Coast Guard was reported saying early on  Jan.5. South Korea’s military Joint Chiefs of Staff also confirmed the test-fire of the missile, stating that the communist regime had fired “unidentified projectiles into the East Sea” but gave no further details. The missile launch underscores autocratic leader Kim Jong-Un's New Year resolution to bolster the military power in response to the unstable international ties. 

"Since last year, North Korea has repeatedly launched missiles, which is very regrettable," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Tokto’s reporters on Wednesday. Nuclear-armed North Korea fired missiles once again in breach of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that ban all ballistic missile tests by North Korea and has slapped sanctions on the regime over its ambitious nuclear programmes. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the missile was fired near Japan. 

Missile test-fired as South Korea-US exchange talks on ending Korea War 

The missile test-fire comes just days after South Korea announced that it has agreed with the United States on a draft declaring an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong announced at a press conference that the United States has agreed “in principle” for the formal end to the decades-long conflict and cold war. Despite US’ appeals to have a dialogue, the North Korean territory refrained from showing any kind of participation to end the hostilities.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated at the White House conference that the US intends to hold a dialogue with North Korea in order to ensure the security of the United States and its allies in the region. Price reiterated that Washington had no hostile intent towards North Korea and was ready to meet without preconditions. But the DPRK issued no response to the US’ request. 

In his 2022 New Year speech, the North Korean leader instead categorically emphasised that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) must bolster the national defence, military troops, and weaponry without mentioning missiles or nuclear weapons to ward off foreign threats, according to the state media reports. The territory has a self-imposed moratorium for testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) but the last such test of a nuclear bomb was carried out in 2017 before Kim launched a diplomatic overture with United States’ former President Donald Trump. North Korea, however, resumed test-fire of new, short-range ballistic missiles as the new Biden administration took over.