North Korea's New Missile Test Ahead of Foreign Minister's Visit to Russia

Following heightened tensions due to the launch of an intercontinental missile and the first spy satellite by North Korea, Seoul and Tokyo reported on Sunday that Pyongyang had fired a medium-range missile. In recent weeks, North Korea has increased pressure on South Korea, labeling it as its 'main enemy' and vowing never to unite with its southern neighbor while enhancing its capabilities for a nuclear attack on the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific. The South Korean military stated that the missile was launched at 2:55 PM local time from near Pyongyang and landed about 1,000 kilometers off the eastern coast of the country, with Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo analyzing the missile. Japan's Ministry of Defense estimated the missile's peak altitude at least 50 kilometers, adding that it landed outside the country's exclusive economic zone. Tokyo deemed this action by North Korea a violation of United Nations resolutions. North Korea announced in November of last year that it had successfully tested solid-fuel engines designed for medium-range ballistic missiles. Pyongyang also reported in December that it had tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile to assess the combat readiness of its nuclear forces against what it termed increasing U.S. hostility. After South Korea suspended part of the 2018 military agreement between the two Koreas in protest against the launch of a spy satellite by its northern neighbor, North Korean soldiers returned heavy weapons to the demilitarized zone around the shared border and rebuilt guard posts destroyed by both countries. Given that the Korean War of 1950-1953 ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two countries are still technically in a state of war. The isolated North Korean government is expanding its relations with Russia. The official North Korean news agency announced on Sunday that Choe Son-hui, the foreign minister, will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday at the invitation of her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The U.S. and its allies have condemned Russia's use of North Korean missiles against Ukraine as 'abhorrent.' South Korea has also referred to Ukraine as a testing ground for its northern neighbor's nuclear-capable missiles. Russia and North Korea deny the existence of a bilateral arms agreement but pledged last year to expand their military relations. On Thursday, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on three Russian entities and one individual linked to the transfer and testing of North Korean ballistic missiles for use by Moscow against Ukraine. Additionally, at least 48 countries condemned Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles in its attack on Ukraine. Tensions continue to escalate in the Korean Peninsula, with both Seoul and Pyongyang conducting military exercises.