North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military reported. This marks another show of force just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, reports RFE.
The missiles traveled approximately 250 kilometers after being launched around 9:30 a.m. from Kanggye, in the Jagang Province near the country’s border with China, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
“We strongly condemn this launch as a clear provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” the JCS said, warning North Korea against “misinterpreting” the situation and pledging to “respond firmly” to any further provocations.
International Reactions
Acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok also condemned the launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, stating that Seoul would respond firmly to North Korean provocations.
South Korea’s presidential office reported that the National Security Council held a meeting to evaluate the situation and pledged unwavering resolve.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command condemned the test, urging Pyongyang to refrain from further illegal and destabilizing actions.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed awareness of the missile test and assured that Tokyo is taking all necessary measures, working closely with Washington and Seoul, including real-time sharing of missile warning data.
Recent Missile Activity
The launch comes about a week after North Korea tested a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, claiming it was a new missile type. That test was the first since November 5.
The latest launch coincided with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya’s visit to Seoul. Iwaya and South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Tae-yul, condemned North Korea’s weapons development and missile launches during their talks in Seoul, pledging to strengthen security ties.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to Seoul last week, also called for further bolstering of bilateral and trilateral cooperation, including Tokyo, to better counter Pyongyang’s growing military threats.
Aimed at Gaining Attention
The Tuesday missile launch occurred just days before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Trump, who held summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term and touted his personal relationship with Kim.
South Korean lawmakers, following a briefing by the National Intelligence Service, stated Monday that Pyongyang’s recent weapons tests were partly intended to “showcase its assets to the U.S. and attract Trump’s attention,” following promises of “the harshest counteraction against the U.S.” during a key political meeting late last year.
