N.Korea fires salvo of missiles, including ICBM, hours after Biden leaves Asia

25/5/2022 11:34

        North Korea fired three missiles, including one thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday, after U.S. President Joe Biden left Asia following a trip in which he agreed to new measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.
        
        South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the three missiles were fired in less than an hour from the Sunan area of the North’s capital, Pyongyang, where its international airport has become a hub of missile tests.
        
        The first missile launched on Wednesday appeared to be an ICBM, while a second unidentified missile appears to have failed mid-flight, the South said. The third missile was a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), it said.
        
        In response, the United States and South Korea held combined military drills, including surface-to-surface missile tests, South Korea’s military said.
        
        North Korea has conducted a flurry of missile launches this year, from hypersonic weapons to test firing its largest ICBMs for the first time in nearly five years.
        
        It also appears to be preparing for what would be its first nuclear test since 2017.