A day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to arrive in Seoul, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday.
Two days prior to the launch, South Korean and American soldiers engaged in a military exercise with an aircraft carrier off the east coast of the South. Another ballistic missile was launched by North Korea on Sunday into the ocean off its east coast.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported that the missiles fired on Wednesday were fired from the Sunan district of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, between 6 and 6:20 p.m. (0910-0920 GMT).
They claimed to have travelled about 360 km (225 miles), at a maximum speed of Mach 6 (4,600 mph or 7,450 km/h), and to have reached an altitude of 30 km (19 miles). They also stated that a thorough analysis was in progress.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korea’s provocations ‘will further enhance the South Korean-U.S. deterrent and response capacity, and further increase North Korea’s isolation from the international community.’
According to a second statement from President Yoon Suk-office, yeol’s the national security council of South Korea held an emergency meeting and denounced the test while pledging to keep constructing ‘overwhelming’ capability to deter North Korea.
The news of the most recent launches were not covered by North Korean state media, but Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, has stated that the country is developing nuclear weapons and missiles to protect itself against American threats.
The suspected ballistic missile launch was also reported by the Japanese coast guard, and Toshiro Ino, the country’s state minister for defence, called it ‘unacceptable.’ He claimed that the frequent missile launches by Pyongyang put the security of Japan and the world at risk.
Post Your Comments