Less than two days after the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Pyongyang did it again. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday, Seoul said.
“Our military detected two short-range ballistic missiles fired from Sukchon areas in South Pyongan Province between 7 a.m. and 7:11 a.m. this morning,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Tokyo also confirmed the launches, with the Prime Minister’s Office warning that the North launched “a suspected ballistic missile” and the Coast Guard issuing alerts about multiple projectiles.
Military exercises in Seoul and Washington
Soon after, Pyongyang released a statement saying it had ‘twice fired multiple 600mm rocket launchers’ into the East Sea, also referring to the stretch of water. known as the Sea of Japan.
The launch therefore comes less than 48 hours after Pyongyang carried out what it called a “surprise” exercise firing an ICBM, which it said demonstrated its “deadly nuclear counterattack” capabilities. Japan said the missile launched on Saturday flew for 66 minutes before falling back into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In response, Seoul and Washington held joint aerial exercises on Sunday, mobilizing a strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets. This launch was also “strongly” condemned by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Kim Yo-jong’s Threats
In a statement released on Monday morning, the North Korean leader’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, warned that Pyongyang would continue to take “corresponding countermeasures” to any perceived threat. “The frequency of use of the Pacific as a firing range depends on the type of action of the American forces”, she put forward in a press release published by the official North Korean agency KCNA.
North Korea praised its soldiers for carrying out the “sudden firing exercise” on Saturday, but South Korean analysts pointed out that the nine-hour delay between the order and the launch was not particularly fast. Kim Yo-jong dismissed the criticism as “an attempt to underestimate the readiness of the ballistic forces of the DPRK”, the official name of North Korea.
According to Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification, “Kim’s strong and angry reaction to the external assessment of his ICBM launch shows that the North is serious about sending the message that it is capable of hit the American continent. The use of shorter-range missiles indicates that North Korea is “virtually targeting US bases and the South Korean command center in the region”.