North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile on Friday toward the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said, marking another escalation just days after Donald Trump invited Kim Jong Un to resume dialogue.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was fired from the country's northwest region near the Chinese border, flying about 700 kilometers before landing outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Both Seoul and Washington tracked the launch and shared data with Tokyo.
Renewed tensions despite Trump's outreach
The launch follows a string of missile tests in recent weeks and came after North Korea accused the United States of "antagonism" over new sanctions targeting its officials and institutions. The country's foreign ministry vowed to respond but did not elaborate.
Trump, who met Kim at the Panmunjom truce village in 2019, recently reiterated his willingness to meet the North Korean leader again. Kim has not publicly responded but previously said he held "fond memories" of their encounter, suggesting talks could resume if Washington eased pressure over denuclearization.