North Korea Allegedly Fired A Long-range Ballistic Missile

JAKARTA - North Korea allegedly fired a long-range ballistic missile into the East Sea, amid tensions caused by the closed-door regime's accusations of operating a US spy plane earlier this week, according to the South Korean military.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected a launch from an area in or around Pyongyang at around 10 am local time. There is no further explanation pending analysis.

"While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military continues to maintain a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States," JCS said in a text message sent to reporters as reported by ANTARA from Yonhap, Wednesday, July 12.

North Korea's last long-range missile launch was on April 13, when North Korea fired the Hwasong-18 solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile.

Earlier, Kim Yo-jong, the ruling sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a sharp statement claiming that US military spy planes were "infiltrating" into areas over North Korea's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Kim warned North Korea that it would take "clear and firm" action against US surveillance flights within North Korea's "economic waters zone", claiming a "surprising" incident could occur.

The South Korean military has rejected Kim's statement, saying freedom of navigation and aviation is guaranteed at the EEZ.

The latest launch occurred during a large diplomatic and security meeting this week, including the High-Level Conference of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Lithuania and the ASEAN Regional Forum in Indonesia.

At the NATO summit, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was expected to discuss security cooperation in dealing with North Korean military threats with other leaders.

The threat of North Korea's military force also came after the failure to launch a space rocket carrying North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite in late May. The rocket crashed in the Yellow Sea after the second phase of engine lighting was abnormal, according to North Korean state media.