As part of its recent series of continuous weapons tests, North Korea on Monday tested several new advanced ballistic missiles toward its eastern coast, South Korea’s military said. North Korea’s repeated testing of ballistic missiles has raised tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the area around North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, as North Korea has in recent years been using its airport as a major missile launch site.
North Korea and its neighboring country, South Korea, have been in a state of conflict for many years. The United States supports South Korea. The United States also conducts military drills with South Korea from time to time.
Recently, the United States, Japan, and South Korea jointly took part in five days of military exercises. The armies, navies, and air forces of the three countries participated in them. Angered by this, North Korea carried out successive missile tests.
This created tension on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, with a plan to restart peace talks with North Korea, U.S. President Trump recently announced that military exercises with South Korea would be suspended.
However, last week North Korea tested two ballistic missiles. The South Korean military said that one of the missiles flew 450 kilometers and fell into the sea.
Within a few hours of this test, North Korea again conducted a test by launching another ballistic missile toward the eastern sea. That missile traveled about 600 kilometers and fell into the sea.
In this situation, as part of its recent series of continuous weapons tests, North Korea on Monday tested several new advanced ‘ballistic’ missiles toward its east coast, South Korea’s military said. North Korea’s repeated testing of ballistic missiles has raised tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile tests were conducted from the area around North Korean capital Pyongyang, as North Korea has been using its airport as a major missile launch site in recent years.
According to military data from Japan and South Korea, these missiles were test-fired from the area around North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, at around 9:20 a.m. local time on Monday.
At least two ballistic missiles were launched toward the eastern sea. Japan’s Ministry of Defense said that some of the missiles traveled more than 900 kilometers and fell into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately specify the number of missiles or how far they flew.
Last week, this missile test was conducted just days after South Korea carried out an airborne test of its first domestically developed advanced hypersonic weapon, designed to fly at least five times faster than the speed of sound and evade missile defense systems. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said this is an important step in strengthening the South’s conventional defense capabilities.
North Korea is increasing weapons tests in an effort to strengthen its nuclear capabilities. North Korea conducted this test in retaliation for a hypersonic intermediate-range missile test designed to evade missile defenses in South Korea and Japan.
As Kim Jong Un continues to showcase his nuclear weapons program, while rejecting U.S. and South Korean offers to restart long-stalled diplomacy, North Korea has carried out other missile tests and live-fire drills, and has also commissioned a new warship.
North Korea continues to reject offers from the United States and South Korea to restart long-stalled diplomacy.
Last month, tensions worsened further after three South Korean soldiers were injured in landmine explosions near the heavily fortified Korean border area.
The South Korean military and the U.S.-led United Nations Command said the attacks were caused by bombs planted by North Korea. However, North Korea has refused to take responsibility and has mocked South Korea’s demands for an apology.
In recent years, Kim has halted all diplomatic and cooperative activities with South Korea. He has also described the neighboring country as a permanent enemy amid the prolonged deadlock in nuclear talks with the United States.