North Korea Fires Missiles on 'Last Day of Defense Training'... Repeats 'Condemn First, Then Provocation' Pattern (Update)

The 14th Missile Provocation Since the Inauguration of the Yoon Administration

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea carried out a provocation by launching a ballistic missile into the East Sea on the last day of the Defense Training. Recently, through its propaganda media, North Korea has been blaming the South for escalating military tensions, and it is analyzed that North Korea is repeating the pattern of 'first (선) blame, then (후) provocation.' Accordingly, there are concerns about additional provocations ahead of the large-scale combined South Korea-U.S. Air Force comprehensive training scheduled for the end of this month.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 28th that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea. The military authorities are analyzing detailed specifications such as range, altitude, and speed.

North Korea carried out the ballistic missile provocation during the 2022 Defense Training, a large-scale live-fire maneuver of our military, which has been ongoing from the 17th to this day.

Earlier, North Korea’s external propaganda media 'Meari' targeted the Defense Training, calling it "reckless confrontation acts that increase military instability and danger on the Korean Peninsula," and harshly criticized, "Through the provocative nature, content, and unprecedented scale of this training, one can clearly see to what extent the warmongering bravado of the puppet military warmongers has reached."

Another propaganda outlet, 'Chosun Today,' also claimed that the South has carried out numerous "war provocations" from the start of the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS) in August to the Defense Training this month.

North Korea’s recent provocation also came after the conclusion of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China held from the 16th to the 22nd, and after Chinese President Xi Jinping began his third term, marking the resumption of ballistic missile provocations. It has been two weeks since North Korea last launched a missile, presumed to be the North Korean version of the Iskander (KN-23), in the early morning of the 14th.

In addition, North Korea has continued military demonstrations by conducting artillery fire provocations in violation of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, firing five times in one day on the 14th, three times between the 18th and 19th, and once on the 24th. Meanwhile, the North Korean General Staff excuses the artillery fire as a military action in response to firing drills conducted by the South, shifting the responsibility to our side.

This year, North Korea has publicly launched ballistic missiles 25 times and cruise missiles 3 times. Since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, missile launches have occurred 14 times.

Meanwhile, according to the Air Force, a large-scale combined air exercise involving the South Korea-U.S. Air Forces, called 'Vigilant Storm,' will be held over the Korean Peninsula from the 31st of this month to the 4th of next month in preparation for wartime. About 240 aircraft will sortie, including approximately 140 of our Air Force’s F-35A, F-15K, KF-16 fighters, KC-330 aerial refueling tankers, and about 100 U.S. aircraft such as F-35B fighters, EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft, U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance planes, and KC-135 aerial refueling tankers. The Australian Air Force will also participate for the first time in the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, deploying one KC-30A aerial refueling tanker.

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