The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a missile towards the Sea of Japan on January 6. This launch, confirmed by several sources, marks the first North Korean missile launch of the year.
On January 6, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a missile towards the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited by the agency Yonhapthe missile was fired from near Pyongyang around 12 p.m. local time, and traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before crashing into international waters.
The Japanese coast guard, cited by the public channel NHKconfirmed that the projectile fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. No property damage or injuries were reported. Tokyo, however, asked ships in this area to remain vigilant and not approach possible debris.
This launch constitutes the first North Korean military demonstration of 2025, two months after the launch of a short-range ballistic missile on November 5.
International reactions
Japan immediately reacted by setting up a crisis unit under the leadership of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. “We must continue to strengthen our defense capabilities to face the constant threats from the DPRK,” declared the Japanese defense minister, quoted by Kyodo News.
In South Korea, the military has raised its alert level and continues to monitor North Korean military activities. “We remain in close coordination with the United States and Japan to analyze the technical characteristics of this shot,” the South Korean general staff said in a statement. The first elements suggest that it could be an intermediate-range or hypersonic ballistic missile, but no official confirmation has yet been provided.
During a press conference, Antony Blinken, visiting Seoul, strongly condemned the shooting. Speaking for Reutershe declared: “This launch constitutes another blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.” He also stressed that this show of force was “a deliberate provocation” by Pyongyang.
A strategic test?
This shot takes place in a particular context. South Korean experts, cited by Yonhapbelieve that this launch could be a response to military exercises recently conducted by South Korea, which included air and naval maneuvers. According to them, it could also be a technical test to verify the capabilities of new missiles.
According to Rossiskaya Gazetait could also be a message sent to the American administration, a few days before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Under his previous mandate, Donald Trump undertook direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un, but these talks remained without follow-up.
In November 2024, Pyongyang had already tested a short-range ballistic missile, followed, the following week, by the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) presented as “the most advanced” in its arsenal.
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