SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea fired at least two ballistic missiles from its west coast on Friday, the third test in less than two weeks, after warning of a strong response to recent U.S. sanctions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) fired from North Pyongan, a province in the northwest of the country, on the border with China.
The two missiles traveled about 430 km to reach a maximum altitude of 36 km, the JCS said.
“Our armed forces are monitoring and monitoring the evolving situation for possible further launches, while maintaining their readiness,” the JCS said in a statement.
Kim Dong-yup, a former South Korean naval officer and lecturer at Kyungnam University in Seoul, said North Korea may have fired from already deployed SRBMs such as the KN-23 or KN-24.
“It could be part of their ongoing winter exercises, while sending a message to the United States,” he said.
The United States on Friday condemned the new firing, saying it posed a threat to North Korea’s neighbors and the international community.
In an emailed statement, a State Department spokesperson said, “We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on it to engage in dialogue. Our commitment to defend the Republic of Korea and Japan remains steadfast.”
The U.S. Army’s Indo-Pacific Command said that while it believed the launch posed no immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies, it highlighted “the destabilizing impact of the launch program. illicit arms” of the country.
North Korea defends its missile strikes as a legitimate right of self-defense and said “the United States is intentionally escalating the situation by imposing new sanctions”, according to state media citing the Foreign Ministry.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” Kim Dong-yup commented. “North Korea is trying to say it will go its own way without being intimidated.”
The US administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s weapons program and its suppliers after missile launches. She also urged the UN Security Council to follow suit.
(Report Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin; with the contribution of Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo and Kanishka Singh in Bangalore, French version Jean Terzian and Dina Kartit, edited by Sophie Louet)