North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, testing activities that appear to be a response to ongoing US-South Korea military exercises.
The North continuing its missile tests shows the country is not deterred by US-South Korea exercises which it sees as a trial invasion, although many experts suggest the tests could also be part of the North’s broader goal to expand its arsenal of weapons, gain international recognition as a nuclear state and lift international sanctions.
The missile, which was launched from the northwest area of Tongchangri, crossed the country and landed in the sea off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments, which reported that the missile traveled a distance of about 500 miles. This range suggests the missile could be targeting South Korea.
Top nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japan and the United States have strongly condemned the missile launch as a provocation that threatens peace on the Korean peninsula and in the region. They agreed in a phone call to strengthen their coordination to send a firm international response to the North’s testing activity, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.
NORTH KOREA SAYS ICBM LAUNCH WAS A ‘WARNING’
North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea on Sunday. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
South Korea’s military has said its joint exercises with the United States will proceed and it will be ready to respond to any provocation from the North. During Sunday’s exercises, the United States flew at least one B-1B long-range bomber for joint aerial training with South Korean warplanes, according to the South Korean defense ministry.
North Korea is cautious about deploying B-1Bs, which are capable of carrying a large payload of conventional weapons. The country had responded to B-1B flights in February by testing missiles at ranges that showed they could reach military air bases in South Korea.
According to Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino, the missile landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. He said there were no reports of damage to ships or aircraft in the area and that the missile likely exhibited an erratic trajectory, a possible reference to North Korea’s highly maneuverable and nuclear-capable KN-23 missile.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said Sunday’s launch poses no immediate threat to US territory or its allies. However, he said the North’s recent launches highlight “the destabilizing impact of its illegal weapons programs” and that the US security commitment to South Korea and Japan remains “iron”.
The launch was the North’s third round of weapons tests since the United States and South Korea began their joint military exercises on Monday. The drills include computer simulations and field exercises and are expected to continue through Thursday. The joint exercises are the largest of their kind since 2018.
In this photo provided by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, US Air Force B-1B bombers (bottom left) fly in formation with South Korean Air Force F-35A fighters and South Korean F-16 fighters. The US Air Force (bottom right) over the South Korean peninsula during a joint air exercise in South Korea, Sunday, March 19, 2023. (South Korean Ministry of Defense via AP)
US-SOUTH KOREA EXERCISES DISCOURAGE NORTH KOREA, PENTAGON TAKES UP HOURS AFTER NORTH KOREA LAUNCH ICBM
North Korea has recently tested weapons including its longer-range Hwasong-17 ICBM designed to strike the US mainland. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the launch was carried out to “instill fear in enemies,” according to state media.
A launch on Thursday, the North’s first ICBM in a month, drew strong opposition from the South Korean, Japanese and US governments, as it was conducted just hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was due to fly to Tokyo for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Yoon and Kishida agreed during the summit to resume defense conversations and further strengthen security cooperation with the United States to counter North Korea.
North Korea has missiles that put Japan in point blank range. In October, North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile on northern Japan, forcing communities to issue evacuation notices and stop trains.
U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers fly in formation with South Korean Air Force F-35A fighters and U.S. Air Force F-16s during a military exercise in South Korea, Sunday, March 19, 2023. (South Korean Ministry of Defense via AP)
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Kishida released a response to North Korea’s launch on Sunday that includes close cooperation with South Korea and the United States
The North had also launched cruise missiles from a submarine the day before the military exercises began. According to North Korean state media, those missiles were a demonstration of its commitment to respond with “overwhelming and powerful” force to the military exercises of the United States and South Korea.
The United States and South Korea are planning to conduct more training involving a US aircraft carrier later this month after the conclusion of the current exercises, which suggests that North Korea will likely respond to those exercises with more weapons tests.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
