朝鲜向东部海域发射一枚弹道导弹
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired one ballistic missile into east waters from its west region, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Wednesday.
韩国参谋长联席会议周三表示，朝鲜在起领土西部地区向东部水域发射一枚弹道导弹。
The projectile was launched eastward from South Hwanghae province at about 7:50 a.m. local time, a JCS official said on the phone. Further details are being analyzed, the official added.
The launch came after the DPRK test-fired two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles and one shorter-range Scud missile on July 19 in an apparent protest against the decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense on South Korean soil.
On July 8, South Korea and the U.S. abruptly announced an agreement to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of next year. Five days later, the deployment site was designated at Seongju county, some 250 km southeast of Seoul.
One day after the announcement, Pyongyang test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast to demonstrate against the THAAD deployment decision. In times of military conflict, it is hard to detect and track SLBM with THAAD's X-band radar.
THAAD is incapable of intercepting Rodong and Scud missiles targeting South Korea as the DPRK missiles travel at an altitude of 20-30 km. The U.S. anti-missile system is designed to shoot down missiles at a much higher altitude of 40-150 km.