North Korea launches new missiles in the Sea of Japan

North Korea conducted new ballistic missile tests on Monday. The projectiles were launched from the Korean peninsula and landed in the Sea of Japan. U.S. forces in South Korea confirmed the launch in a statement after they detected the projectiles.

According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, the projectiles flew for about 385.25 miles before falling into water in the Sea of Japan. The South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies have since analyzed all available data on this latest launch.

This is the second ballistic missile launch in three days. On Sunday, from a submarine, two more launches were carried out. With the latter, North Korea has carried out seven test launches since the beginning of 2023.

Pyongyang and Seoul ended the dialogue in 2022 after tensions between the two governments escalated. The launches come in response to the latest joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises in the region.

The Pacific has become the most important geostrategic arena for the United States, especially since the reorganization of defense priorities was made official. In this new strategic defense design, China has become a major threat. China's claims of control over the Pacific have turned the ocean into the new center of the dispute between the two global powers.