North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles into its eastern waters on Sunday, marking its first weapons test in a month. The launch comes two days after the country said it has conducted a key test needed to build a more mobile and powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to hit the mainland US.
A statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military detected two North Korean ballistic missiles launched from the Tongchang-ri area, according to the Associated Press.
The statement said the missiles flew across South Korea and were fired about 50 minutes apart. Details regarding the type of weapons fired and the exact distance they flew were not immediately available from South Korean officials.
The South Korean military has reportedly “strengthened its surveillance posture” and is maintaining a readiness in close coordination with the US, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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The flags of North Korea, rear, and South Korea, front, flutter in the wind, as shown at the border area between the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea.
(Im Byung-shik/Yonhap via AP)
Japanese officials said both missiles fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. There have been no reports of human injuries or damage to the ships.
Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino told the Associated Press that both missiles flew 310 miles at a maximum altitude of 550 miles. Ino criticized North Korea for “threatening the security of Japan, the region and the international community.”
North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launch Field is located in the Tongchang-ri area, which is where the country launched long-range rockets carrying satellites in recent years. The UN described those operations as a covert test of ICBM technology.
On Friday, North Korea said it tested a “high-thrust solid fuel engine” for a new strategic weapon at the Sohar facility on Thursday. Experts have said the development could allow the country to have an arsenal of more mobile and harder-to-detect ICBMs that can reach the continental United States, according to AP.
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Sunday’s launch was the country’s first public weapons test since it launched its longer-range, more developed liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile last month. That weapon is reportedly capable of reaching the entire US territory.
Leader Kim Jong Un promised to acquire a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile during a major ruling party conference early last year. Other weapons systems that Kim has promised to build include a multi-warhead missile, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and spy satellites.
This photo released by the North Korean government shows what it says is a test fire of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 24.
(Korea Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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According to the AP, North Korea carried out a variety of test launches in 2022 at a record pace, despite US-led pressure to curb its nuclear program and pandemic-related economic difficulties.
North Korea said its weapons tests are a self-defense measure against the “invasion tests” of the United States and South Korea, which is really just an expansion of military exercises. Experts believe that North Korea likely used the training as an excuse to increase its weapons arsenal and increase its influence in future negotiations with the United States.
In addition to expanded regular drills, the South Korean and US militaries have also resumed trilateral training with Japan in response to North Korean testing activities.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a lecture at the North Korean Central Cadre Training School on October 17, 2022.
(Korea Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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The true state of North Korea’s nuclear strike capability is unknown. Some people believe the country already has operational nuclear missiles that can hit the entire United States, South Korea and Japan, while others believe it will be years before weapons of that magnitude are acquired.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
