North Korea launches suspected missile in 8th test this year

North Korea has launched a suspected missile in its apparent eighth missile test in 2022.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japan’s Defense Ministry said North Korea had fired a possible ballistic missile on Sunday local time for North Korea, The Associated Press reported.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide any further details about the missile test beyond that it had occurred, per the AP.

Japan’s Coast Guard said “an object possibly ballistic missile” was launched by North Korea, likely into the sea, according to the wire service.

This marks the first reported missile test North Korea has performed in February, but the eighth one this year, as North Korea appeared to conduct seven such tests in January.

The seventh missile test appeared to be the longest ballistic missile launch since 2017.

The AP noted that the testing was halted during the Winter Olympics, which was held by China, one of North Korea’s close allies.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in January called North Korea’s tests “profoundly destabilizing.”