North Korea’s New Missile Test Raises Red Flags—The EU and South Korea Speak Out

The European Union (EU) has issued a stern rebuke of North Korea’s recent intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) test. In a statement released on Tuesday, the EU’s External Action Service spokesperson emphasized that Pyongyang’s actions violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and further destabilize the Korean Peninsula. The statement also expressed “full solidarity with its partners in the region, particularly the Republic of Korea and Japan.”

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched a single IRBM from the vicinity of Pyongyang into the East Sea on Monday. While North Korea boasted of successfully testing a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, South Korean military officials remain skeptical. A Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Sung Jun, cast doubt on Pyongyang’s claims, stating that the reported flight distance and second peak altitude are likely exaggerated. He said no second peak altitude was observed.