- According to reports from South Korea, North Korea has once again fired two short-range missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan.
- The missiles were launched near the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
- With the missile tests, North Korea is responding to criticism and reactions from the USA and South Korea.
For the first time in five years, North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile over Japan into the Pacific on Tuesday. Both the US and NATO sharply condemned the test. In response, the US and South Korea launched four surface-to-surface missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.
The last time North Korea launched a missile over Japan in 2017, the country conducted a nuclear weapons test just days later. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
Legend:
The missiles were launched near the North Korean capital Pyongyang. One flew 350 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers, the other 800 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers.
Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji
South Korea announced on Wednesday that the United States wanted to send its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan back to the waters east of the Korean peninsula. The ship most recently arrived in September for its first visit to South Korea in almost four years and participated in naval maneuvers between South Korean and US forces.
The aircraft carrier is expected to take part in another exercise with South Korea and Japan in international waters later in the day, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
“Serious provocation”
The South Korean military said: “North Korea’s continued missile launches are a serious provocation that threaten not only peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, but also international society.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday morning, according to Yonhap, that his government would “take comprehensive care of the safety and life of the population”.
Legend:
Despite strong protests, North Korea has launched missiles six times since September 25.
Keystone/AP KCNA via KNS
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also condemned North Korea’s repeated missile launches as “completely unacceptable”, as reported by the Japanese news agency Kyodo. Japan’s government submitted a formal protest to North Korea’s diplomatic mission in the Chinese capital through its embassy in Beijing.
Experts suspect nuclear test
According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic submarine missile and an ICBM. Experts also expect North Korea to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017 in the coming weeks.
However, a common position of the UN Security Council on the North Korean missile launches is not in sight. According to diplomats, no agreement on a text was expected at an emergency meeting on Wednesday in New York. Accordingly, a proposal for a joint statement by China before the meeting was blocked.
Chinese Deputy Ambassador Geng Shuang blamed the US for North Korea’s behavior. In the past, Washington has not responded adequately to the country’s denuclearization measures. China is considered North Korea’s most important partner.