North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast, according to the South Korean military and Japan’s Coast Guard.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), one of the missiles launched from the Pyongyang area on Monday travelled more than 900 kilometres. However, the JCS did not disclose the exact total number of missiles launched.
Japan’s Coast Guard also reported that North Korea had launched two unidentified projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles, which appeared to have already fallen into the sea.
South Korea’s presidential office condemned North Korea’s repeated missile launches, stating that they violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and calling for an immediate halt to such activities.
Jang Do-young, a spokesperson for South Korea’s military, said the latest missile launch appeared to be a show of force by North Korea following South Korea’s test-firing of a hypersonic missile.
Last Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung personally oversaw the country’s first test-firing of a hypersonic missile. The presidential office said that once fully developed, the weapon would enhance South Korea’s ability to launch surprise attacks against key targets within the Korean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, President Lee pledged to resume dialogue with North Korea after taking office in 2025. However, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to expand his country’s nuclear weapons programme and has rejected offers from the United States and South Korea to resume diplomatic talks.
Talks between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump abruptly ended in 2019. Since then, Pyongyang has continued to demand that Washington abandon its “hostile policy” towards North Korea and stop making the country’s denuclearisation a precondition for negotiations.
On October 3, North Korea also tested a hypersonic intermediate-range missile reportedly designed to evade the missile defence systems of South Korea and Japan.
Tensions have also risen following a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul has demanded an apology from Pyongyang. A joint investigation by South Korea and the United Nations concluded that North Korean forces had planted two landmines approximately a year earlier. However, Pyongyang rejected the allegation and counteraccused South Korea of engaging in provocative activities.
Security tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to rise amid weapons tests and mutual accusations by the two countries.
Source: Al Jazeera.
