North Korea "Simulated Strike on Enemy Air Force Base... Launched Cruise Missile in International Waters off Ulsan" (Comprehensive)

'Failed' ICBM Launch "Disables Enemy Command System"
"Our Response Will Be More Thorough and Ruthless"

Korean Central News Agency announcement on the 7th [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The North Korean military claimed that it conducted military operations against South Korea for four days from the 2nd to the 5th in response to the South Korea-U.S. joint air exercise 'Vigilant Storm,' and stated its intention to continue responding with overwhelming practical military measures. In particular, it disclosed detailed daily provocation activities along with training photos, though the authenticity of these claims appears to require verification by military authorities.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 7th, the North Korean General Staff said, "In order to demonstrate a thorough and resolute will to respond to the grave situation, a clear confidence in the military capabilities of the Republic's armed forces, and to bolster the firm retaliatory will of our soldiers with a spirit of certain victory, we conducted responsive military operations from November 2nd to 5th."

The General Staff disclosed the daily operational details, claiming that missile test launches were conducted to paralyze the South's air force bases and operational command systems.

On the first day of operations (the 2nd), it stated, "Missile units in the Pyonganbuk-do region simulated strikes on enemy air force bases by launching four tactical ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads and underground infiltration warheads targeting an uninhabited island in front of the West Sea Lock," and explained, "In the morning and afternoon, air defense missile units along the east and west coastlines conducted training to eliminate aerial targets at various altitudes and distances, firing 23 surface-to-air missiles."

Korean Central News Agency announcement on the 7th
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, it claimed, "The enemy provocatively claimed that our missiles landed near South Korea's 'territorial waters' and responded with air-to-surface guided missiles and gliding guided bombs over our territorial waters," adding, "From the Hamgyongbuk-do region, we retaliated by striking two strategic cruise missiles with a range of 590.5 km into international waters approximately 80 km off the coast of Ulsan city in South Korea."

Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had fired three precision air-to-ground missiles from South Korean Air Force F-15K and KF-16 aircraft into international waters north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in response to North Korea's ballistic missile launches south of the NLL over the East Sea on the 2nd.

Then, on the second day of operations (the 3rd), the General Staff stated, "At the request of the National Defense Science Institute, we conducted an important ballistic missile test launch to verify the operational reliability of special function warheads designed to paralyze the enemy's operational command system," and claimed, "As part of the response to crush the enemy's ongoing war provocations, we launched five super-large multiple rocket launcher shells and various tactical ballistic missiles, along with 46 long-range multiple rocket launcher shells into the East Sea."

The ballistic missile test launch mentioned by the General Staff is considered a failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, as its maximum speed only reached Mach 15 and altitude only rose to 1920 km, but it appears that the two-stage separation was detected.

Korean Central News Agency announcement on the 7th [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the third day of operations (the 4th), a large-scale total combat sortie operation involving 500 various fighter aircraft over 3 hours and 47 minutes was conducted by the air force, and on the fourth day (the 5th), the General Staff explained that tactical ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads and two super-large multiple rocket launcher shells were again launched targeting an uninhabited island in front of the West Sea Lock to simulate strikes on air force bases.

The General Staff also asserted, "All responsive military operations successfully achieved their planned objectives, and the high operational capability of our military was satisfactorily evaluated," and strongly declared, "We once again proclaim that we will respond to all enemy anti-Republic war exercises with continuous, resolute, and overwhelming practical military measures."

It further emphasized, "Our responsive military operations are a clear answer that the more persistent the enemy's provocative military provocations are, the more thorough and ruthless our response will be," adding, "This will be the unwavering principle and direction of action of our armed forces going forward."

Moreover, it claimed, "Through these operations, our Republic's armed forces thoroughly responded to the enemy's joint air exercises and boosted confidence that can blind the enemy air force's 'superiority theory,'" and "We have perfectly confirmed our military's confident readiness and capabilities and further solidified our absolute will to respond."

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