Japan: "Missiles Fired by North Korea Launched Multiple Times from Various Locations, Making Interception Difficult"

"Strengthening ROK-US Security Cooperation Is What North Korea Opposes"

North Korea's ballistic missile
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] On the morning of the 5th, Japan began analyzing the intent behind North Korea's launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs).

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government urgently convened senior officials from related agencies at the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Defense. The Japanese government is wary that today's launch, the 17th this year including cruise missiles, was also a difficult-to-intercept consecutive launch.

Japan interprets North Korea's actions as sending a message opposing the strengthening of security cooperation between South Korea and the United States, while simultaneously achieving tactical objectives.

Contrary to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's announcement that North Korea fired eight missiles, the Japanese government analyzed the number as "at least six."

It can be inferred that Japan had difficulty accurately detecting the missiles because North Korea launched them consecutively from different locations.

Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo interpreted, "There is a tactical intent behind North Korea's consecutive missile launches from multiple locations."

At a press conference on the same day, he claimed, "Based on past cases, there may be an aim to improve the capability for consecutive launches necessary for saturation attacks." A saturation attack refers to a concentrated attack in quantities that exceed the opponent's defense or response capabilities.

Mr. Goda Yoji, former Commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, explained in an interview with NHK that North Korea may have aimed for "simultaneous impact fire," which makes interception difficult by launching missiles from different locations to land simultaneously at one point.

He evaluated, "The primary purpose was likely to verify the missile's performance, but it was also a launch with the tactical application objective."

Goda also mentioned the joint training conducted by South Korea and the United States near Okinawa, Japan, involving aircraft carriers until the previous day, adding, "From North Korea's perspective, this strongly expresses opposition to the strengthening of South Korea-U.S. cooperation since the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration in South Korea."

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