Seoul, Sept 21:
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Sunday, in its latest weapons test amid renewed tensions with South Korea, the United States and Japan.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s eastern coast at around 3 pm local time. It travelled approximately 450 km before falling into the sea. About three hours later, North Korea conducted a second launch from the same general area. The second missile travelled more than 600 km, according to South Korean military assessments.
The launches were detected and tracked by South Korean and US intelligence authorities from their initial stages. South Korea also exchanged information with Japan. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the projectiles fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and reported no immediate damage to ships or aircraft. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo had lodged a protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels.
The South Korean presidential office convened an emergency National Security Council meeting following the launches. Seoul urged Pyongyang to immediately halt ballistic missile launches, saying such tests violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. The South Korean military said it had strengthened its surveillance and readiness posture while maintaining close coordination with the US and Japan.
The latest launches came just days after North Korea criticised US-led military exercises in the region. The US, South Korea and Japan have conducted joint military activities in recent weeks, which Pyongyang has repeatedly described as provocative and as preparations for a possible attack. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister and senior official Kim Yo Jong has warned that the country would respond to what Pyongyang considers hostile military actions.
North Korea has also rejected international pressure over its nuclear weapons programme. A day before the latest launches, Pyongyang dismissed a resolution adopted at the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning its nuclear programme, maintaining that the resolution would not alter its position as a nuclear weapons state.
The latest launches mark North Korea’s second weapons test in about a week. The country has conducted a series of missile and other weapons tests this year as it continues to develop its military capabilities. Analysts say the launches also come against the backdrop of stalled US-North Korea diplomacy, with talks having remained largely frozen since negotiations between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump broke down in 2019.
For now, the missiles have not been reported to have caused damage outside North Korea. However, the repeated launches are adding to security concerns in Northeast Asia, with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo continuing to monitor Pyongyang’s military activities closely.