North Korea Opposes Inter-Korean Cooperation... Ballistic Missile Launched into East Sea [Comprehensive]

One Short-Range Ballistic Missile Fired into the East Sea Immediately After the Korea-US-Japan Summit

[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 launch came shortly after a series of summits?the trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan meeting, the South Korea-U.S. summit on the 13th, the U.S.-China summit on the 14th, and the South Korea-China summit on the 15th?where international concerns over North Korean provocations and responses from various countries were presented.

On the day, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “North Korea launched one short-range ballistic missile from the Wonsan area in Gangwon Province toward the East Sea at around 10:48 a.m. We are currently analyzing detailed specifications such as the missile launch location, speed, flight distance, and altitude.”

This missile launch was the first in eight days since North Korea fired one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) from Sukchon, South Pyongan Province, toward the East Sea 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,’ and the more provocative and bluffing military activities increase on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, the more fierce our military response will be in direct proportion.”

It appears to be a reaction to the trilateral summit results among 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 meeting, 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 their intention to share real-time information on North Korean missiles, and during the subsequent South Korea-U.S. summit, Presidents Yoon and Biden shared concerns over North Korean provocations.

At the U.S.-China summit, President Biden mentioned to Chinese President Xi Jinping that “all members of the international community are interested in urging North Korea to act responsibly.” This was interpreted as a call for China to restrain North Korea.

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 drills 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.