North Korea launches unidentified projectile toward the sea, South Korea says
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched an unidentified projectile toward the sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, adding to a recent series of provocative weapons demonstrations by Pyongyang.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch happened off North Korea’s east coast but gave no further details, including what type of weapon was fired.
In recent weeks, North Korea has ramped up its weapons tests in a likely bid to increase its leverage in potential diplomacy with the U.S. after President Donald Trump expressed his desire to restore diplomacy with Kim Jong Un.
The latest launch also came a day after North Korea denied involvement in the recent cryptocurrency heist at Binance, dismissing as “a trite provocation” a U.S. announcement that North Korean hackers were behind the incident.
Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, said Friday that hackers stole more than $6 billion in what appears to be the largest cryptocurrency heist on record. The FBI later said the theft was orchestrated by North Korean hackers, attributing the attack to a hacking group known as TraderTraitor, which was also behind a $1.5 billion hack of the Bybit exchange last year.
On Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued another statement criticizing the FBI announcement, saying Pyongyang views it as “an extension of Washington’s invariable hostile policy toward” North Korea.
“It is our clear stand that we have no need to sit face to face with such unreliable and hostile persons,” she said. “The choice for peace includes dialogue of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us.”
North Korea’s recent weapons tests include a submarine-launched ballistic missile, hypersonic missiles, attack drones and cluster bombs designed to be carried by ballistic missiles. Pyongyang said Tuesday that it tested a new cluster warhead for strategic cruise missiles the previous day, claiming it could destroy an area of 5 to 6 hectares (12 to 15 acres) with “high-density power.”
Tensions between the two Koreas have also deepened since mine blasts at their border in September wounded three South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused North Korea of burying the mines south of the military demarcation line and demanded an apology. Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked.
North Korea later threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and place new weapons systems along the border.