Response to US aircraft carriers
North Korea fires ballistic missile
09/25/2022, 02:09 am
South Korea and the USA are on the verge of large-scale military maneuvers, and a US aircraft carrier has already docked. US Vice President Harris will also be visiting the region next week. North Korea is apparently taking this as an opportunity to demonstrate its military strength again.
North Korea launched another ballistic missile towards the open sea on Sunday, according to the South Korean military. This is reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the chief of staff. The rocket, which is not described in detail, flew in the direction of the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea). Further details have not yet been announced. Japan’s defense minister said the North Korean missile may have reached an altitude of 50 kilometers on an irregular trajectory.
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan docked in the South Korean coastal city of Busan on Friday to take part in a planned naval maneuver between the two countries off the Korean peninsula. The maneuver is also intended to serve as a deterrent against North Korea. US Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to visit South Korea and Japan next week.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. Most recently, in June, North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles from at least four different locations towards the open sea in the east. North Korea is said to be preparing to launch a submarine ballistic missile. Tensions in the region have risen following a series of nuclear-capable missile tests by North Korea this year. Most recently, the parliament of the largely isolated country passed a law on its nuclear policy. Among other things, this provides for the use of nuclear weapons not only in the event of an attack by enemy forces, but also in the event of an impending attack on the leadership. Negotiations between the US and North Korea have been at a standstill since a failed summit between the two countries in Vietnam in February 2019.