We start with news of fresh ballistic missile provocations by North Korea that took place early Monday morning just a day after the regime denounced South Korea’s inaugural multi-domain aerial and naval exercises with neighboring Japan and the U.S.
Our correspondent Bae Eun-ji reports.
North Korea has launched ballistic missiles toward waters off its east coast on Monday morning, after the regime vowed to take “overwhelming countermeasures,” in response to the recent military exercise held between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.
The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected two ballistic missiles fired shortly after 5AM, with about ten minutes between the launches.
The first one, a short-range ballistic missile, flew 600 kilometers, followed by a second missile that traveled only around 120 kilometers, and appears to have been unsuccessful.
“There is a possibility that the second missile launched by North Korea may have flown abnormally, during the early stages of flight. If the missile exploded in flight, the debris could have landed inside North Korean territory.”
The military also said it detected and tracked the missiles immediately after they were launched, and that it shared related information with Washington and Tokyo.
The country’s National Security Council also held a meeting on Monday morning, to discuss response measures.
Monday’s missile launches come less than a week after the North claimed to have successfully tested a missile carrying multiple warheads, which the South and the U.S. assessed was a failure, after the missile exploded soon after it took off.
Last week, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan carried out their first multi-domain military exercise, in waters south of Jeju Island.
The large-scale joint military drills named “Freedom Edge,” involved nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt, as well as navy destroyers and fighter jets.
The North vowed to take strong countermeasures, adding that such drills show the relationship between the three nations has developed into “the Asian version of NATO.”
But, South Korea’s defense ministry dismissed Pyongyang’s criticism, saying the exercise was held to deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
It also called on the North to return to talks and look after its citizens, rather than focusing on illegal nuclear and missile development.
The three countries have had combined maritime and aerial drills before, but the latest exercise was the first one held across multiple domains including air, maritime, underwater and cyber space.
Meanwhile, a plenary meeting of North Korea’s ruling party has been taking place in Pyongyang since last Friday.
North Korean officials at the meeting were seen wearing a pin with a portrait of Kim Jong-un for the first time, as part of the regime’s latest efforts to strengthen the power of its third-generation leader.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=272609
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