The South Korean general staff said the two short-range ballistic missiles were fired near the North Korean capital Pyongyang. They flew about 550 kilometers before landing in the sea east of the Korean Peninsula. The information is consistent with the Japanese military’s assessment that the missiles fell into the sea outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
A US nuclear submarine in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years
The rocket launches took place shortly after the arrival of the US nuclear submarine USS Kentucky in the South Korean port of Busan. In view of heightened tensions with North Korea, the United States and its ally South Korea agreed in April to strengthen their military cooperation. This also includes the relocation of a US Navy submarine equipped with nuclear weapons to South Korea, both sides had announced. The last time a US nuclear submarine entered a South Korean port was in 1981.
It had been expected that this move would provoke a reaction from North Korea. Pyongyang has protested against the deployment of US nuclear weapons around the Korean Peninsula.
International sanctions – no obstacle for Pyongyang
The South Korean general staff condemned the new missile launches as a “significant provocation” and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The isolated North Korea has been expanding its weapons program for years and is therefore subject to international sanctions. Testing of ballistic missiles is also prohibited. Depending on the design, these can be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
After an unprecedented series of missile tests in 2022, North Korea has again launched nuclear-capable missiles several times this year. According to the leadership in Pyongyang, just last week the self-proclaimed nuclear power North Korea had tested a new type of long-range rocket with solid fuel propulsion.
qu/fw (dpa, afp, rtr, ap)
Source: DW
