North Korea fired at least three rockets again on Thursday, according to the South Korean military. One of them may have been a nuclear-capable long-range missile with a range of thousands of kilometers. It crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 1,100 kilometers east of Japan. The US condemned the launch. The slaughter was “a clear violation of several UN Security Council resolutions”.
The announcement was made by US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday (local time). The action highlights the danger that North Korea’s illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to its neighbors and the region, as well as to international peace and security.
Along with the international community, the United States called on North Korea to refrain from further provocation and engage in dialogue, he said. The United States’ commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan remains “iron”. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Korea’s repeated missile launches “absolutely cannot be forgiven”.
confusion in japan
In Japan, where German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was staying before his overnight trip to South Korea, the latest North Korean missile test caused confusion. The Tokyo government had previously corrected initial information that the first long-range rocket had flown over Japan. The missile disappeared from radar over the Sea of Japan. There was no damage in Japan from the missiles. Residents in some prefectures in northeastern and central Japan had previously been asked to stay in their homes for safety.
Japan and South Korea have a history of misjudging North Korean missile tests, said Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), one of the impartial think tanks on international affairs. “No country has the highly reliable and desirable space-based infrared sensors available to the United States that provide instant detection of rocket stages after firing,” said Panda.
High frequency of missile tests
Despite international criticism, North Korea has been carrying out missile tests at an unusually high frequency since late September. According to the South Korean military, on Wednesday the country fired more than 20 rockets at the east and west coasts throughout the day – more than ever before in one day. For the first time, a missile landed near South Korean territorial waters, prompting a strong reaction from Seoul. The US condemned the missile launch, Russia and China called for restraint.
The new North Korean missile tests were seen in South Korea in response to the biggest air force exercise by South Korean and US forces in several years. North Korea has accused the two countries of “reckless” military provocations and has threatened countermeasures. The multi-day drills in South Korea will continue through Friday.