The South Korean military reported that on Tuesday, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast. This was the most recent of several weapons tests that have taken place as South Korea and the United States conduct their biggest joint military exercises in years.
The missiles were launched from South Hwanghae province, close to the nation’s west shore, at around 7:40 am (2240 GMT) and traveled 620 kilometers, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
According to a statement from the JCS, the South Korean military was keeping a full readiness posture while being on high alert in close coordination with the US.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that his country was gathering information on the missile and that no confirmed damage to the nation was caused by it.
The missiles’ entry into Japan’s territory or exclusive economic zones has not been verified, according to chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
It’s possible, according to Matsuno, that North Korea will increase its provocative actions, such as missile attacks and nuclear tests. In order to gather and analyze intelligence about North Korea’s military actions, we will continue to work closely with the US and South Korea.
The latest launches, according to US Indo-Pacific Command, did not immediately pose a threat to US personnel, territory, or allies, but the North’s illegal weapons programmes had a destabilizing impact.
The military of South Korea “strongly condemned” North Korea for its repeated missile launches, describing them as a grave provocation that threatened the peace and security of the area and a breach of UN Security Council decisions.
A spokesperson for the South Korean defense ministry stated at a briefing that “the South Korea-US alliance will carry out our exercises and training as planned even if North Korea tries to hamper our Freedom Shield drills with provocations”.
The launch comes less than a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un commanded the military to step up drills to prevent and prepare for a “real war,” if required. Two days prior, North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine.
Known as “Freedom Shield 23,” the 11-day joint exercises between South Korean and American forces will be conducted on a scale not seen since 2017 to counter the North’s escalating threats. North Korea has long reacted angrily to the allied exercises as an invasion practice.
The United States and South Korea’s war provocations have crossed a red line, according to North Korea’s official state media, KCNA, which reported the country’s decision to take “important practical” war prevention measures on Sunday.
The United States won’t allow “any steps North Korea takes deter us or constrain us from the actions that we feel are necessary to safeguard stability on the Korean Peninsula,” according to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday.
