Status: 02/20/2023 00:52
According to South Korean sources, North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles at the country’s eastern waters. The South Korean general staff said the rocket launch took place early in the morning.
North Korea has reportedly tested ballistic missiles again. According to the findings of the South Korean military in Seoul, the two short-range missiles were fired in an easterly direction on the open sea, as reported by the Yonhap agency. They took off from the western region of South Pyongan early Monday morning, the South Korean general staff said, and then flew towards the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea). How far they flew was initially unclear.
Joint South Korean-US airspace exercises
On Saturday, North Korea resumed its weapons tests with the launch of a Hwasongpho-15 ICBM, Pyongyang confirmed on Sunday. The missile reached its target area in the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea) on Saturday after a flight of 989 kilometers, as reported by North Korean state media. The most recent ICBM test was intended to increase “deadly” nuclear attack capabilities.
In view of upcoming joint military exercises by the USA and South Korea, further steps have been threatened. The US responded with a show of force, flying long-range B-1B bombers near the Korean Peninsula on Sunday. In addition, training flights took place in coordination with South Korean and Japanese fighter jets.
North Korea increases missile tests despite ban
Intercontinental ballistic missiles are considered the most important carriers for nuclear weapons. Tests with ICBMs and other ballistic missiles are banned from North Korea by United Nations decisions. Tensions on the Korean peninsula had escalated significantly again in the past year. The communist-ruled North Korea, which is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program, has increased the scope and speed of its missile tests despite all the bans.