&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "North Korea fires ballistic missiles ahead of Trump's visit to South Korea for APEC annual summit")
South Korea's military, through its Joint Chief of Staff, reported that North Korea had fired several ballistic missiles on Wednesday. The missiles were reportedly fired from an area south of the capital, Pyongyang and were flying northeastern direction at around 350km.
According to several reports, Japan's new Prime MinisterSanae Takaichi said that the missiles have not reached the territorial waters of Japan. North Korea usually tests its missiles in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
This is North Korea's first ballistic launch since June, when South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office. This comes just ahead of the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference to be organised in South Korea from October 30 to November 1. World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, are likely to participate in the APEC annual summit. However, South Korean officials say that Mr Trump is unlikely to be present for the summit. A total of representatives from 21 states, along with businessmen and CEOs like the Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, are expected to be present at the summit.
Experts predict that North Korea is likely to launch more provocative missiles ahead of and during the APEC summit. This recent move complicates South Korea's efforts to engage North Korea in diplomacy. Lee Jae-myung, the President of South Korea, has urged for "a new era of peaceful coexistence" during his speech at the UN General Assembly last year.
The UN has yet to recognise North Korea as a nuclear-armed state despite its possessing nuclear capability. From North Korea's perspective, this is necessary to push for a lifting of the international sanctions. Washington has repeatedly urged the resumption of diplomatic talks on nuclear disarmament. However, Kim Jung Yun has repeatedly insisted that North Korea is open for diplomatic talks if Washington gives up its aim of nuclear disarmament.
