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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile, South Korea's military has said, in the secretive state's second weapon launch in three days.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Pyongyang had fired what is believed to be a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Saturday from the eastwern port city of Sinpo. Seoul did not say how far the missile flew and it was not clear if the launch involved a submarine or an underwater test platform.
Although there were no immediate reports of damage, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida ordered officials to prepare for all "unforeseeable situations," the Associated Press reported.
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Saturday's test comes on the heels of a suspected ballistic missile launch from near the North Korean capital Pyongyang which had been detected by South Korean and Japanese militaries on Wednesday.
They said the missile fired traveled about 310 miles, although North Korean state media has not commented on the test.
Saturday's launch also comes only days before the inauguration of South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has vowed to take a hard line against Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Yoon on a visit to South Korea on May 21.
Robert Kelly, a North Korea expert at Pusan National University told Al Jazeera that the aim of the latest launches was to send a "signal to the South Koreans 'we're still here, you must take us seriously'."
The AP reported that the latest latest launch is probably Pyongyang's 15th round of missile firings this year. In March, North Korea confirmed it fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the potential of reaching the U.S. mainland in what was its first long-range test since 2017.
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During a parade of his country's arms which included ICBMs, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned on April 25 of using nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked.
Experts have said this suggests an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would be of concern for South Korea and Japan.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University told the AP that being able to launch ballistic missiles from a submarine "would further complicate missions to neutralize and defend against North Korea's nuclear forces."
He added that Pyongyang also appeared to be getting ready to test "a miniaturized nuclear device" that it says can arm its submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), tactical missiles, and multiple warheads on its ICBMs.
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