North Korea fires ballistic missile from Wonsan — SkimNews
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- North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Saturday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- Kim Yo Jong on Friday dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology over September DMZ land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers, calling Seoul's demands to halt border fortification "utterly pathetic" and declaring North Korea's intent to cut ties with the South.
- The Saturday launch followed weeks of North Korean military displays — tests of a purported hypersonic missile system, live-fire exercises, and the commissioning of a new warship.
- Kim Jong Un has continued public displays of his growing nuclear program despite US calls to revive diplomacy.
- South Korea and the US-led UN Command attributed the September DMZ land mine blasts to North Korea, with Seoul calling on Pyongyang to end border fortification including mines and anti-tank barriers.
Why it matters: The Saturday missile test crystallizes a month of escalation — land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers, Kim Yo Jong declaring North Korea will cut relations with the South, and continued nuclear program flaunting. The combined effect is a diplomatic rupture with Pyongyang closing remaining channels to Seoul and ignoring US calls to revive talks.
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