North Korea launched suspected short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Friday, according to South Korea’s military, PTI reported. This action follows a joint drill involving powerful fighter jets from South Korea and the US, which North Korea perceives as a major security threat.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles were fired from the Wonsan region and traveled approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that a North Korean missile landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korea’s response
In a statement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the launches as “a clear provocation” threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula. The statement emphasized that South Korea, in alliance with the United States, will maintain a robust readiness to counter potential aggressions from North Korea.
North Korea’s Recent Weapons Testing
North Korea has been ramping up its weapons testing, aiming to expand and modernize its arsenal amidst stalled diplomacy with the United States and South Korea. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system, as reported by the North’s state media.
North Korea claims it needs to enhance its nuclear and missile programs to counter U.S.-led hostilities. The North accuses the U.S. and South Korea of conducting military drills that it views as invasion rehearsals. Foreign experts believe North Korea uses these drills as a pretext to build a larger weapons arsenal to gain leverage in future diplomatic negotiations with the U.S.
Joint Aerial Exercises
On Thursday, two South Korean F-35As and two U.S. F-22 Raptors participated in a combined aerial exercise over South Korea’s central region. North Korea is highly sensitive to the deployment of advanced U.S. aircraft, and this marked the first deployment of a U.S. F-22 to South Korea in seven months.
North Korea’s reaction
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) criticized the re-deployment of the U.S. F-22s for joint training with South Korea, calling it “another clear proof of the hostile nature of the U.S.”, reported PTI. KCNA accused South Korea of escalating tensions to align with the U.S.’s confrontation strategy against the North. It warned that the F-22 flyovers could lead to undesired consequences for the U.S., though it did not specify what actions North Korea might take.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official, stated on Friday that the recent weapons tests are part of North Korea’s five-year arms buildup plan initiated in 2021. She clarified that these weapons are intended to target Seoul, the South Korean capital, and dismissed speculation that the tests were meant to showcase weapons for export to Russia.
Kim Yo Jong emphasized that the weapons are designed to prevent Seoul from considering any hostile actions against North Korea. Her statement, carried by KCNA, underlined the defensive nature of North Korea’s recent tests.