North Korea Does Not Break Its Promise, Launches Ballistic Missiles Into The Sea After Boasting Of Accelerating Nuclear Power Development

JAKARTA - North Korea has promised to develop its nuclear power as soon as possible. And they kept that promise.

South Korea, quoted from Nikkei Asia Wednesday, May 4, said that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its eastern coast.

It came exactly a week after North Korea made its promise.

The launch also comes just days before newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol takes office.

The launch was North Korea's 14th major weapons test this year. And it's not even the middle of the year yet.

South Korea's military said it had detected the launch, which was estimated to be around noon in the Sunan area of Pyongyang. Sunan was the last place North Korea fired what it claimed was a Hwasong-17, a "new type" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on March 24.

The Japanese Coast Guard also said that they had detected what appeared to be a ballistic missile fired from North Korea, and that the projectile had landed.

Details of the projectile, including its flight range and altitude, have not been released to the public.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to accelerate the development of his country's nuclear arsenal while overseeing a massive military parade as denuclearization talks with the United States remain at a standstill.

"Our military maintains a readiness posture while closely monitoring related activities for possible additional launches," the South Korean military said in a statement.