Seoul: North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, its first launch in more than two months, according to South Korea's military, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to put his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals. Japan's Coast Guard also said a projectile, believed to be a ballistic missile fired from North Korea, had already fallen.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from North Korea's capital flying 360 km before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
This is the latest in deteriorating relations between the two Koreas. The reported fight distances suggest the missiles were designed to attack South Korea. The launches were North Korea's first public weapons firing activities in more than two months. On July 1, North Korea conducted the test-firing of two ballistic missiles after its declaration of "offensive and overwhelming" responses to a joint US-South Korea-Japan military exercise, which it views as a rehearsal for invasion.
Kim Jong Un vows to boost nuclear arsenal
On Monday (September 9), Kim Jong Un addressed the country's founding anniversary, where he said the country is now implementing a nuclear force construction policy to increase the number of nuclear weapons "exponentially", according to state-run media. He said North Korea must more thoroughly prepare its "nuclear capability and its readiness to use it properly at any given time in ensuring the security rights of the state".
A strong military presence is needed to face "the various threats posed by the United States and its followers", he added. The North Korean leader also said the country is facing a "grave threat" from what it sees as a US-led nuclear-based military bloc in the region.
South Korea's deputy defence minister for policy, Cho Chang-rae, and his US and Japanese counterparts on Tuesday condemned Pyongyang's recent diversification of nuclear delivery systems, tests and launches of multiple ballistic missiles and reaffirmed a commitment to strengthen trilateral cooperation to ensure peace in the region.
Tensions between two Koreas
Thursday's launches also came after North Korea flew hundreds of huge balloons carrying rubbish toward South Korea for five straight days through Sunday, a campaign kicked off in May in retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown into the country using inflatables by South Korean activists.
Since 2022, North Korea has sharply ramped up its weapons testing activities in part of its efforts to perfect its capabilities to launch strikes on the US and South Korea. The US and South Korea have responded by expanding military drills that North Korea calls invasion rehearsals.
Last month, Kim had still held off from missile tests or other provocative military demonstrations as the United States and South Korea conducted large-scale summertime military exercises. North Korea has previously reacted with other major US-South Korean military training with its own weapons tests.
(with inputs from agencies)
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