Two North Korean Cruise Missiles Launched... South Korea and US Say "Not a Violation of UN Resolution"

On the 14th, a military parade commemorating the 8th Party Congress was held in Pyongyang, North Korea, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 15th. The photo shows a weapon presumed to be a ground-to-ground cruise missile that appeared in the parade. There is a structure on the side of the vehicle that looks like an entrance to a fire control room. [Captured from the Korean Central News Agency website] [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min, Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] It has been reported that North Korea launched two cruise missiles into the West Sea on the 21st. This launch is the first attempt since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, drawing attention to the U.S. response. South Korean and U.S. authorities explained that this launch does not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. President Joe Biden responded by saying "nothing has changed." It is understood that the intention is to block actions that could provoke North Korea and to lead them to the dialogue table.

The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 23rd (local time) that North Korea tested several short-range missiles over the past weekend. Another major foreign news outlet, citing two U.S. officials, reported that North Korea fired two short-range missiles last weekend. WP described this test launch as North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's first direct challenge to the Biden administration. U.S. North Korea experts estimate that the missiles were likely the cruise missile "Geumseong-3" previously revealed by the North.

However, a cautious atmosphere is sensed on the U.S. side. President Biden said in response to reporters' questions about North Korea's short-range missile launch, "We know that nothing has particularly changed." A senior U.S. official also stated in a press briefing that "North Korea's short-range missile launches are not violations of UN Security Council resolutions or provocations, and North Korea's testing of various weapons systems is routine practice." He also emphasized, "We do not want the North to perceive that we have closed the door to dialogue." The official revealed that the U.S. review of its new North Korea policy is nearly complete and that a meeting with security chiefs from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan will be held this weekend for final review.

In this regard, our military stated, "On the morning of the 21st, two missiles presumed to be cruise missiles were detected in the Uncheon area of South Pyongan Province in the West Sea." Analysts inside and outside the military suggest this may be a low-intensity show of force to gauge the reactions of South Korea and the U.S. Especially since this occurred after statements by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party (on the 16th), and Choe Son-hui, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (on the 18th), the conclusion of the South Korea-U.S. joint command post exercise in the first half of the year (on the 18th), and the South Korea-U.S. foreign and defense ministers (2+2) meeting, it is seen as an attempt to send a certain message to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

North Korea is expected to continue test launches for the development of long-range cruise missiles. Cruise missiles are slower than ballistic missiles but have superior accuracy and fly at low altitudes, making detection and interception difficult. In particular, North Korea's developed cruise missiles weigh less than 500 kg and have a maximum range of less than 300 km, so unlike ballistic missiles, they do not violate the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) or United Nations Security Council resolutions. North Korea's missile launch was the first in about 11 months since April 14 of last year and the first since the Biden administration took office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.