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11/22/2024 12:27:24 am

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North Korea Fires Missiles Near Japan

(Photo : REUTERS)

North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles in its eastern waters on Sunday, an outright breach of U.N. security resolutions, according the Japanese government.

Based on Japan's Defense Ministry intelligence, the missiles were fired sometime between 1:20 A.M. and 1:30 A.M. (12:20 P.M. to 12:30 P.M. EDT on Saturday) near Kaesong city, North Korea, which is close to its border with South Korea. The missile carried a range of about 500 kilometers or 310 miles before it fell in waters near the border between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

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So far, no damages or injuries were reported.

Even so, Japan has filed a diplomatic protest in Beijing that claimed the North's test launch had infringed on international law, according to Reuters.

"This is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," said Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the lifting of sanctions on North Korea after the latter had agreed to reopen investigations of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean operatives since the Cold War.

Pyongyang had admitted to the abductions for the first time in 2002 but has only released five out of the confirmed 17, although Japan said there may be more.

The lifted sanctions include an entry ban on North Korean citizens and a restriction on its ships in Japanese ports. In return, Pyongyang said it planned to set up a "Special Investigative Committee" for the probe.

Other nations including South Korea and the U.S. hoped that this would help Japan resolve the issue and possibly lead to improved communication.

Meanwhile, the recent test launch follows a series from the North in a show of might to express its discontent over failed talks for international partnerships and with South Korea's joint drills with the U.S.

Since Feb. 21, North Korea has been confirmed to have conducted nearly 90 missile launch tests with ten of them categorized as ballistic firings, according to South Korean officials.

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