North Korea fires seventh missile this year, Japan says
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- North Korea fired its seventh ballistic missile this year and fourth in April, as reported by Japan and South Korea.
- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the missile landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, indicating a multiple launch.
- Professor Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University warned the U.S.’s focus on Iran gives North Korea a “golden time” to boost its nuclear and missile capabilities.
- Asia Times frames the launch as a shift to threaten the high seas, underscoring a broader maritime risk.
- UN Security Council resolutions ban North Korea’s missile program, but Pyongyang says the ban violates its sovereign right to self‑defense.
Why it matters: Japan must ready its missile defense after the launch landed outside its EEZ, raising regional alert.
