North Korea conducted its first ballistic missile launch of the year, escalating tensions in the region as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on an official visit to Seoul. According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, the intermediate-range missile was launched from the Pyongyang area and traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before falling into the sea off the east coast. This marks North Korea's first missile test since November when several short-range ballistic missiles were launched. Read more.
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| The exact nature of the missile remains unclear, but analysts speculate it could be a hypersonic missile, an advanced version of those tested in January and April 2024 (Picture source: KCNA) |