China urges all parties to exercise restraint after North Korea’s ballistic missile test

At a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stressed: “We express our concerns about the current situation.”

On March 24, North Korea test-fired the Hwasongpho-17, a new intercontinental ballistic missile. The North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the missile, launched from Pyongyang International Airport, reached a maximum altitude of 6,248.5 kilometers and flew a distance of 1,090 kilometers in 4,052 seconds before hitting its target. on the sea.

A day after the North’s launch, the South Korean Air Force conducted a training exercise with the participation of F-35A fighter jets avoiding radar.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced that Minister Suh Wook oversaw the Elephant Walk training and ordered the military to maintain a high state of readiness. However, the announcement did not disclose the location of this training.

The training marks the first major mobilization of stealth fighters after the ROK Air Force completed the deployment of 40 F-35As in January.

Before that, right after the North’s launch, the South Korean armed forces conducted a live-fire drill, including important missiles such as the Hyunmoo-2 surface-to-surface missile and two air-to-surface missiles. JDAM.

In another development, on March 25, South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee (DPPC) approved a project to upgrade its key surface-to-air missile interceptor system. The 720 billion won ($591 million) project to upgrade the Cheolmae II missile interceptor system will be implemented between 2023 and 2029. The project will upgrade the missiles to be able to intercept both. aircraft and ballistic missiles at an altitude of less than 20 km. The current system can only shoot down aircraft.