[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Just One Week Later

Unusually, Two Missiles Launched Toward the East Sea in the Early Morning Hours

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea early on the 19th. This marks one week since North Korea's launch of the solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) 'Hwasong-18' on the 12th. The launch appears to be a response to the launch of the new extended deterrence consultative body, the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), between South Korea and the United States, as well as the arrival of a U.S. strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN) in Busan.

North Korea conducted a "test firing of a new large-caliber guided multiple rocket launcher" under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un on the 31st of last month, according to a report by Korean Central Television on the 1st. The photo was released by KCTV on the same day, with the launch platform (red circle) mosaicked.

On the day, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Our military detected two short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from the Sunan area into the East Sea between approximately 3:30 a.m. and 3:46 a.m." They added, "The North Korean ballistic missiles each flew about 550 km before landing in the East Sea." The Japan Coast Guard estimated that the missiles fell outside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

North Korea's ballistic missile launch on this day is interpreted as a reaction to the previous day's NCG inaugural meeting held by South Korea and the U.S., and the docking of the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine Kentucky (SSBN-737) in Busan, demonstrating nuclear deterrence. The NCG is a consultative body where South Korea and the U.S. discuss ways to strengthen extended deterrence cooperation against North Korea. The two countries held the NCG inaugural meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office yesterday, represented by Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, and Kurt Campbell, U.S. National Security Council (NSC) Indo-Pacific Coordinator.

Response to the Launch of the South Korea-U.S. NCG and the Docking of the U.S. Strategic Nuclear Submarine
Possible Launch Date to Seize Negotiation Initiative over Defected U.S. Troops

Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of North Korea, issued a statement on the 17th, a day before the first NCG meeting, saying, "The more the U.S. strengthens the extended deterrence system and expands the military alliance system, the further it pushes us away from the negotiation table they desire," expressing opposition to the South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence enhancement.

Coinciding with the NCG launch, the Ohio-class (18,750-ton) SSBN Kentucky, capable of carrying about 20 Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with ICBM-range, arrived in Busan. This marks the first visit of a U.S. SSBN equipped with 20 nuclear SLBMs to South Korea in 42 years, since 1981 during the Cold War.

Some analysts suggest that this ballistic missile launch may be a pressure tactic by North Korea to gain leverage in negotiations over the repatriation of defected U.S. troops. North Korea has so far shown no response regarding the incident where a U.S. service member stationed in South Korea defected to the North without permission while touring the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom the previous day.

The United Nations Command announced via social media the previous day, "An American who was touring the Joint Security Area crossed the Military Demarcation Line without authorization and defected to the North." U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed at a press conference that day, "One of our soldiers deliberately crossed the Military Demarcation Line without permission," verifying that the defector was a U.S. service member.

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