According to South Korea's military, North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile into its eastern sea on Tuesday, continuing a recent trend of weapons testing that appears to be in retaliation for the United States sending significant naval forces to South Korea as a show of force.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea did not immediately disclose the location of the weapon's launch or its flight distance.
The launch occurred hours after the South Korean navy reported that the USS Annapolis, a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine, had landed at a port on Jeju Island. The USS Annapolis' arrival bolsters the allies' display of might in response to North Korea's nuclear threats.
The USS Kentucky made history last week by becoming the first American nuclear-armed submarine to visit South Korea since the 1980s. In response to the visit, North Korea deployed U.S. navy ships and conducted test launches of ballistic and cruise missiles, seemingly demonstrating its ability to launch nuclear attacks against South Korea.
Additionally, on Monday, the American-led U.N. Command announced that it has begun communication with North Korea over a U.S. soldier who crossed one of the most tightly guarded borders in the world last week to enter the North.
Because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who serves as the U.N. Command's deputy commander, declined to specify when the communication began, how many exchanges there have been, or whether the North Koreans provided helpful responses. Additionally, he failed to elaborate on what the command knew about Pvt. Travis King's health.
Harrison stated, "None of us know where this is going to end," at a news conference in Seoul. "I have always been an optimist, and I still am. But once more, I'll stop there.
After the command indicated in a statement last week that it was "working with" its North Korean colleagues, it wasn't immediately clear whether Harrison's remarks alluded to meaningful improvement in talks.Â
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