North Korea disrupts the atmosphere of calm with a ballistic uproar

North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the South Korean military.

It was the first missile test of its kind conducted by Pyongyang in several months.

In a statement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the North Korean army had fired an “unidentified” missile toward the east.

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This also marks the first ballistic test since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office last June, after declaring his intention to improve relations with the North.

The launch comes just days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to take place in South Korea on October 31 and November 1, which U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend.

Trump expressed hope that he might meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again later this year, after several meetings during his first term.

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For his part, Kim Jong-un stated that he is ready to resume communications with the United States if Washington abandons its goal of stripping his country of its nuclear weapons.

Earlier in October, North Korea unveiled what it called its “most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile” during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th anniversary of the regime’s founding, attended by senior Russian and Chinese officials.

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