(4th LD) N. Korea fires an apparent ballistic missile toward East Sea: JCS
(ATTN: UPDATES with U.S. military's response in paras 7-9)
By Song Sang-ho and Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday fired what appears to be a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's first show of force this year.
The North launched the missile eastward at around 8:10 a.m. from a site in its northern province of Jagang bordering China, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said without further elaboration.
Jagang Province is the region from which the North fired what it claimed to be a hypersonic missile, called Hwasong-8, in September last year.
"In consideration of what we have detected, the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.
South Korea's military in cooperation with the U.S. is closely watching related North Korean movements and maintaining a readiness posture against the possibility of the North's additional launches, the JCS said.
It marks the North's first projectile launch since the regime fired off a new submarine-launched ballistic missile in October last year.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it is aware of the "ballistic missile launch" while assessing that it "does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory or to our allies."
"The ballistic missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's illicit weapons program," the command said in a statement, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad," it added.
The latest saber-rattling came just days after the North concluded a five-day Central Committee plenary of the ruling Workers' Party on Friday, highlighting its key focus on economic issues and its pandemic response.
At the plenary, participants stressed the importance of boosting their country's defense capabilities, pointing to the growing instability of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not issue any particular messages for the South or the United States at the gathering, but the latest launch appears aimed partially at raising the stakes for future talks with the allies, analysts said.
Wednesday's launch could also be part of the North's wintertime drills, some observers said.
The launch came amid expectations the North could refrain from major strategic provocations that could undermine the mood for peace in the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics slated for next month.

This file photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, shows a missile launch. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
BLACKPINK star Jisoo tests positive for COVID-19, to miss world tour stop in Osaka
-
(URGENT) Seoul city sends alert to residents to prepare for evacuation after N. Korea's launch
-
Seoul city sends alert to residents to prepare for possible evacuation after N. Korea's launch
-
N. Korea fires what it claims to be 'space launch vehicle' southward: S. Korean military
-
Flights from typhoon-hit Guam to S. Korea to resume Monday: ministry
-
Fifty Fifty chart on Billboard Hot 100 for 10th week with 'Cupid'
-
BLACKPINK star Jisoo tests positive for COVID-19, to miss world tour stop in Osaka
-
(URGENT) Seoul city sends alert to residents to prepare for evacuation after N. Korea's launch
-
S. Korea slams N. Korea's planned satellite launch, warns of consequences
-
N. Korea fires what it claims to be 'space launch vehicle' southward: S. Korean military
-
Suspect in grisly Busan murder sent to prosecutors for further probe
-
Napoli's Kim Min-jae named Serie A's best defender, makes Team of the Season
-
Military continues salvage operation for North Korean rocket debris
-
(4th LD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan to operate system for sharing real-time N.K. missile warning data 'within this year': Seoul's defense chief
-
(LEAD) Military continues salvage operation for North Korean rocket debris