Dangerous showdown
US and South Korea fire surface-to-surface missiles in response to North Korean test
STORY: South Korea and the US military have responded to North Korea’s recent missile launch towards Japan and fired missiles in the region themselves. South Korean and American troops fired several short-range missiles into the sea in response to the downing, South Korea’s chiefs of staff said on Wednesday. The rockets hit their decoy targets precisely, it said. However, one of the South Korean army’s ballistic missiles is said to have failed and fell to the ground. However, there were no injuries in the accident. North Korea fired a medium-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan on Tuesday. It was the first time a North Korean missile had flown over the Japanese archipelago in almost five years. Both the US and NATO strongly condemned the test. The United States has called on the UN Security Council to hold a session on North Korea on Wednesday. .
Things are bubbling on the Korean peninsula: After North Korea’s most recent missile test over Japan, South Korea and the USA have now responded by launching four surface-to-surface missiles. Experts expect further escalation.
A day after the latest North Korean missile test, the US and South Korea fired missiles themselves in the region. South Korea’s military said on Wednesday that the United States and South Korea fired four surface-to-surface missiles toward the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea) in response to North Korea’s provocation. Each side fired two missiles that hit decoy targets precisely. This demonstrated the Allies’ ability to deter further provocations.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang fired a medium-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan. With a flight distance of around 4500 kilometers, a North Korean missile has never before covered a longer range. It was the first time a North Korean missile had flown over the Japanese archipelago in almost five years. There, the test triggered a rare missile alert: residents of the northern Japanese island of Hokaido and Aomori Prefecture on the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu were asked to seek shelter in their homes.
“Danger to the Japanese people”: US condemns missile tests
Also on Wednesday morning, another missile from the South Korean army fell to the ground after a false launch. As reported by the Yonhap news agency, citing the South Korean general staff, no one was injured in the accident near the east coast city of Gangneung. The cause of the crash was initially unknown. Panic broke out among some residents of Gangneung, initially fearing an attack by North Korea.
Both the US and NATO had condemned Tuesday’s North Korean test. US President Joe Biden spoke of a “danger to the Japanese people”. The US also wants to request a meeting of the UN Security Council for Wednesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter: “I strongly condemn North Korea’s dangerous and destabilizing missile tests.”
In direct response, South Korean forces dropped two precision bombs on an uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea. In addition, flight maneuvers were held together with US F-16 fighter jets. The Yellow Sea is bordered by China and the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea’s missile tests are piling up
The last time North Korea launched a missile over Japan in 2017, the country conducted a nuclear weapons test just days later. Experts fear that North Korea could test another nuclear missile in the coming weeks. According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, the North Korean military is also preparing further tests for an ICBM and a ballistic submarine missile.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. Most recently, North Korea tested two short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday – the fourth missile launch in a week.
Experts also see North Korea’s increased missile tests as a reaction to the recent naval maneuvers by South Korean and US forces. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan also took part in the four-day naval exercises. It was the first deployment of a US aircraft carrier to South Korea in almost four years.