JCS: "North Korea Fires One Medium-Range Ballistic Missile" (Comprehensive)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea on the 6th. The ballistic missile, launched from Pyongyang, is estimated to be a medium-range missile.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated on the same day, "Around 12 o'clock, an object suspected to be a ballistic missile was launched, and we are analyzing the missile's direction and flight distance."

This is North Korea's first ballistic missile launch this year. It is a provocation two months after the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launch on November 5 last year. North Korea, which had not launched any ballistic missiles since the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election on November 6 last year, carried out the provocation two weeks before Trump's inauguration scheduled for the 20th.

North Korea fired the ballistic missile amid the South's chaotic impeachment situation.

Amid the repeated transfer of military command authority due to President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of martial law on the 3rd of last month, the National Assembly's approval of the impeachment motion against President Yoon on the 14th, and the approval of the impeachment motion against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as acting president on the 27th, North Korea carried out the provocation.