North Korea has fired at least one unidentified projectile toward the east, South Korea’s defence ministry confirmed on Saturday, in a development that could further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In a brief statement, Seoul’s defence ministry said Pyongyang launched “at least one unidentified projectile eastward,” though officials did not immediately provide further details about the weapon or its range.
The launch comes weeks after North Korea dismissed South Korea’s latest peace overtures, describing them as a “clumsy, deceptive farce,” dampening hopes of renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours.
The announcement also followed remarks by South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who revealed that Donald Trump believes a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be beneficial.
According to Kim, the US president indicated during talks in Washington that such a meeting “would be good,” though he added that the encounter might or might not occur during Trump’s anticipated visit to China in April.
For decades, Washington has led international efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear programme through sanctions, diplomatic pressure and high-level summits. However, these initiatives have yielded limited progress in persuading Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
In recent months, the Trump administration has been pushing to revive direct talks with North Korea, raising the possibility of another summit with Kim Jong Un later this year.
Trump had earlier stated during an Asia trip in October that he was “100 percent” open to meeting the North Korean leader, although Pyongyang did not respond at the time.
After months of silence, Kim Jong Un recently suggested that relations with the United States could improve if Washington acknowledges North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state.
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