Status: 10/14/2022 2:24 p.m
Rocket tests and around 300 artillery shells – despite international warnings, North Korea is continuing its demonstrations of power. Head of state Kim and his army pretend that this is all a reaction to a South Korean military exercise.
North Korea has again fired artillery shells into the waters along the inter-Korean border. As reported by the Yonhap news agency, citing the South Korean general staff, there were around 80 projectiles in the direction of the Yellow Sea to the west and another 200 in the direction of the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
The North Korean military had already fired dozens of artillery shells in the early hours of the morning. Almost at the same time, a short-range missile was launched. In addition, North Korea launched fighter jets in the border area with South Korea. In response, South Korean fighter jets have taken off, the country’s general staff said.
North Korea: Seoul stokes military tensions
The North Korean military, which rarely comments on missile launches, said the actions were in response to a “provocative” South Korean artillery exercise near the border, according to the state news agency KCNA. Seoul is fueling “military tensions” in the border area with “reckless actions”. Pyongyang has therefore taken “strong military countermeasures”.
The South Korean Security Council condemned the “enemy actions” and warned North Korea that “such provocations will have consequences”. Seoul imposed new unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang, targeting North Korean individuals and institutions, for the first time in five years. The US, a close ally of South Korea, also condemned the missile launch and accused Pyongyang of violating several UN sanctions.
North Korea had already tested several different missiles in the days before – despite international protests. According to the state news agency KCNA, ruler Kim Jong Un witnessed the launch of two long-range cruise missiles on Wednesday. They were fired in South Pyongan Province and headed towards the Yellow Sea.
Rocket launches at an unusually high frequency
The North Korean military has been conducting missile tests at an unusually high frequency since the end of September. According to Pyongyang, this should also simulate the shelling of South Korean airfields with tactical nuclear weapons.
Experts predict that North Korea could conduct its first nuclear weapons test since 2017 in the coming weeks. South Korea and the USA have been warning of this for months. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.