North Korea fired at least one short-range ballistic missile and other weapons into the Yellow Sea this week, according to the South Korean military.The missile flew about 50 miles toward the body of water that separates the Korean Peninsula and China, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday. It was North Korea’s eighth ballistic missile launch this year, South Korean media reported.Tensions have brewed in the region for years, after the two halves of the peninsula split decades ago, with South Korea turning toward democracy, and North Korea embracing communism. The latest demonstrations of military power are significant, as North Korea has nuclear weapons and is led by a dictator whom the United States and other allies fear could use them against the world. Washington and Seoul notably share a military pact designed to protect South Korea against aggression from North Korea.
On Tuesday, South Korea’s military said Seoul remains ready to repel any provocations by North Korea, citing its alliance with the U.S.
President Donald Trump has sought to emphasize building a personal relationship with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un as a means of easing concerns. Trump made history during his first term when he became the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea, shaking hands with Kim in 2019.
