[2nd Report] North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile into East Sea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea on the 17th. This appears to be a reaction to the expression of willingness to share real-time information on North Korean missiles at the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit.

On the same day, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea in the morning, and we are currently analyzing detailed specifications such as the missile launch location, speed, flight distance, and altitude."

This missile launch came eight days after North Korea fired one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) into the East Sea from Sukchon, South Pyongan Province, at 3:31 p.m. on the 9th.

Notably, this occurred immediately after Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui issued a statement saying, "The more the United States insists on 'strengthening extended deterrence,' the more provocative and boastful military activities will be intensified on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and our military response will correspondingly become fiercer."

It appears to be a reaction to the trilateral summit results between President Yoon Suk-yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 13th in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, during the ASEAN-related summit. The three countries, through a joint statement adopted at the summit, declared, "We will cooperate to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea," warning that "if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, it will face a strong and resolute response from the international community." The three countries also expressed willingness to share real-time information on North Korean missiles, and in the subsequent South Korea-U.S. summit, Presidents Yoon and Biden shared concerns about North Korean provocations.

Prior to this, during the large-scale South Korea-U.S. joint air exercise 'Vigilant Storm' from the 2nd to the 5th, North Korea strongly opposed the exercise by firing about 35 missiles, including one that fell south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) for the first time in history.

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