SEOUL, South Korea (InTv) – As the United States military warned North Korea that using nuclear weapons “would result in the end of that regime,” North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Friday. This was the North’s first launch of ballistic weapons in two weeks.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement that the South Korean military discovered the two launches on Friday about noon from the eastern coastal Tongchon area of the North. It claimed that both missiles travelled a maximum of 24 kilometres (230 miles) in height (15 miles).
According to the statement, South Korea strongly condemns the launches, calling them “a grave provocation” that threatens regional stability and contravenes resolutions of the UN Security Council that forbid North Korea from engaging in any missile operations.
The launches, according to the U.S. Indo Pacific Command, showed the “destabilising consequences” of North Korea’s illegitimate ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. The Japanese Defense Ministry reported that it had also seen the launches and was still examining the kind of missiles employed as well as their flight data.
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The foreign ministry of South Korea reported that shortly after the launches, its top nuclear envoy had separate phone conversations with his Japanese and American counterparts. It said the three reiterated their demands for North Korea to halt conducting weapons tests and resume talks while also deciding to deepen trilateral coordination on that country.
The consecutive launches, which marked the North’s first ballistic missile tests since October 14th, occurred on the final day of South Korea’s annual 12-day “Hoguk” field exercises, which also included
Although Seoul and Washington claim their exercises are defensive in character, North Korea views their regular drills as preparation for an assault on the North.
The “Vigilant Storm” aerial drills, which will take place next week from Monday to Friday, will feature roughly 140 South Korean and about 100 American aircraft. According to a statement released earlier on Friday by South Korea’s Defense Ministry, the aircraft include advanced fighter jets like the F-35 from both countries.
North Korea has been firing a volley of missiles into the ocean since the end of September in what it described as mock tests of tactical nuclear weapons systems intended to hit targets in South Korea and the United States. North Korea claims that its testing was done to serve as a warning following a string of South
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The inter-Korean land border is roughly 60 kilometres (37 miles) distant from Tongchon, the launch site for the North’s Friday launches. According to South Korea’s Defense Ministry, the location was the closest to South Korean soil of any missile launch site North Korea had used so far this year.
North Korea has been severely cautioned by South Korea and the United States not to use its nuclear weapons first.
Any nuclear assault by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners “will result in the end of that regime,” according to the National Defense Strategy report from the Pentagon, which was released on Thursday.
“There is no scenario in which the Kim regime could employ nuclear weapons and survive,” the report said. The Pentagon said it will continue to deter North Korean attacks through “forward posture,” including nuclear deterrence, integrated air and missile defenses, and close coordination and interoperability with South Korea.
