WASHINGTON — The latest in a string of nuclear-armed nation’s tests that have heightened tensions with its neighbours in Asia and the U.S. is a short-range ballistic missile launch, according to South Korea’s military.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea also said that North Korean aeroplanes flew close to their common border, causing Seoul to scramble F-35 fighter jets. According to South Korea’s military, the 10 North Korean aircraft went as near to the inter-Korean border as 7 kilometres.
This is the second occasion in the last week that North Korea has flown a military aircraft close to the border. Twelve fighter and bombers were flown close to the border by Pyongyang on Thursday.

The Pentagon declared that it was aware of the most recent launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea and that it would keep an eye on the situation.
The military command that is in charge of the area, the U.S. Indopacific Command, issued a statement saying, “We have determined that this occurrence does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. soldiers or territory, or to our allies.”
The command also stated that “the U.S. obligations to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan are unwavering.”
The State Department denounced the most recent launch of a ballistic missile and stated that North Korea is in breach of numerous Security Council resolutions whenever it conducts any testing.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has refused to engage in serious and persistent conversation, according to a statement from a State Department spokeswoman.
Less than a day prior to Thursday’s test, North Korea claimed to have fired a long-range cruise missile in a test. Additionally, Pyongyang fired missiles on October 3 and October 5.
A barrage of U.S. and South Korean missiles were fired in retaliation for the Oct. 3 test, which was the first to fly over Japan in five years. The four missiles, according to the Pentagon, were fired into the ocean off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast.

Read more: According to South Korea, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.
By conducting its most potent nuclear test, launching its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile, and threatening to fire missiles into the waters near the U.S. island of Guam, the reclusive state under Kim Jong Un has drawn the wrath of international leaders.
Kim has launched more missiles and carried out four nuclear weapons tests since 2011 than did his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung combined over a 27-year span.
North Korea has tested more than 35 ballistic missiles so far this year.