Provocation and Cooperation

North Korea launched another ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan Tuesday. US Strategic Command tracked what it assessed to be a KN-11 missile launched by a submarine off the coast of Sinpo, North Korea, at 3:29 p.m. Central Daylight Time, for about 300 miles, according to a STRATCOM release. The missile was the first to reach Japan’s air defense identification zone, Reuters reported. NORAD determined the missile did not pose a threat to North America. Tuesday’s launch is the latest in a string of North Korean missile tests this year and came the day after US and South Korean forces kicked off the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise. North Korea threatened to strike the South with nuclear weapons if “the slightest sign of aggression” is shown during the drill. During a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday, foreign ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea urged North Korea to refrain from further provocation in light of the latest launch, Reuters reported. The agreement is the latest example of cooperation between Japan and South Korea despite longstanding tension.