So, North Korea has fired several short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast, according to South Korean and Japanese officials. The isolated state fired two missiles at 7:10 AM local time on Thursday, a few days after its leader Kim Jong Un expressed his intention to add the capacity of the country’s nuclear forces for war against foes.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from the North’s capital of Pyongyang and flew for 220 miles before hitting the sea off the Koreas and Japan. The South Korean military has expressed extreme discontent regarding the missile launches, as they said that they were ready for it and described it as an obvious aggression that directly threatens the security in the region and contributes to the escalation of tensions.
Although South Korea did not mention how many missiles were fired, Japan’s Ministry of Defence identified at least two as ballistic missiles. In response, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed relevant authorities to keep marine and aerial transport secure, pointing to the lack of immediate reports of damage.
The nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan, and the United States spoke on the phone, describing the launches as a breach of UN resolutions. They committed to countering any new aggressive behavior from North Korea. The US Indo-Pacific Command again underlined the ‘unsurpassed’ security guarantee Washington provides to both Seoul and Tokyo.
This is the first show of weapon activity on the part of North Korea in two months. Earlier in July, the regime said it had tested a new tactical weapon that could deliver a “superlarge” 4. 5-tonne warhead.
As with any speech that Kim made, especially on North Korean days such as the anniversary of North Korea’s founding, Kim said that the country has to improve its nuclear program due to threats from the so-called reckless expansion of what it regards as an American-led aggressive military alliance in the region.
Analysts imply that Pyongyang could stage a nuclear test explosion or a long-distance missile launch before the November US presidential elections to bolster its bargaining chops with Washington. The missile launches are in response to the flying of balloons, and the South Korean authorities recovered hundreds of debris balloons launched by North Korea for five days.
