North Korea Fires 2 Short-Range Ballistic Missiles At Its Eastern Coast

(CTN NEWS) – SEOUL –  On Monday, North Korea increased tensions over U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it perceives as an invasion practice by firing two short-range ballistic missiles and artillery shells toward its eastern waters.

The weapon firings come after North Korea threatened to respond to the drills with unprecedented force and launched of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday.

Amid stalemate negotiations with its adversaries, a new testing spree also enables North Korea to increase the size of its arsenals, which it can later use as leverage to extract further concessions from the United States.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated that the country had detected the two missile launches on Monday morning from a western coastal town not far from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

In close conjunction with the US, it was stated that South Korea has increased its monitoring posture and maintains a state of readiness.

According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, both missiles made landfall in the seas between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. According to the statement, Japan denounced the launches as a threat to its national security and the safety of the rest of the world.

According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the first missile went up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles) (250 miles).

According to the report, the second missile traveled 350 kilometers and ascended to an altitude of roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) (217 miles).

In reaction to what the North’s state media referred to as the U.S.-South Korean aircraft drills on Sunday, long-range artillery batteries on its western shore launched two rounds cross-country towards the eastern waters on Monday morning, according to the KCNA.

The North Korean artillery rounds, according to KCNA, mimicked attacks on sites up to 395 kilometers (245 miles) distant.

The North claimed that the launches were made using its brand-new 600-millimeter multiple rocket launcher system, capable of holding “tactical” nuclear warheads designed for use on the battlefield. japan

The weapon system was perceived as a short-range ballistic missile by some specialists.

According to Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, “the frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range relies upon the action nature of the U.S. forces.”

“We are fully aware of the recent escalation in the movement of U.S. forces’ strategic strike means around the Korean Peninsula.”

She referred to the Americans as “the greatest maniacs” and warned them to conduct unnamed “equivalent counteraction” in response to any further military actions taken by the US.

She might be referring to Sunday’s flyover by American B-1B long-range, supersonic bombers during separate training exercises with South Korea and Japan.

The Hwasong-15 ICBM was launched off the east coast of North Korea on Saturday, the nation’s first missile test since January 1. The B-1B deployment was in retaliation for that action.

B-1B bombers, which can carry a substantial payload of conventional bombs, are particularly sensitive in North Korea.

The ICBM test, according to North Korea’s state media, was intended to increase the country’s ability to launch “fatal” nuclear attacks, as well as to confirm the weapon’s dependability and combat preparedness.

Ahead of planned military exercises between the United States and South Korea, Kim Yo Jong threatened to take extra drastic measures in a statement she made on Sunday.

Even though the allies claim their drills are defensive, North Korea has repeatedly denounced them as a preparation for a northward invasion.

According to some experts, North Korea frequently utilizes the drills conducted by its competitors as an excuse to train and improve its weaponry.

This week, the South Korean and US forces will hold a tabletop exercise to practice a coordinated reaction to a potential North Korean nuclear attack.

The allies will also engage in another combined field training and computer simulation exercise in March.

With the firing of more than 70 missiles the previous year, North Korea broke its annual record. According to North Korea, several nuclear tests were a warning over earlier U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

It also enacted a statute allowing it to deploy nuclear weapons in various preemptive situations.

In 2023, Kim Jong Un called for the “exponential buildup” of the nation’s nuclear warheads, the mass manufacturing of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons aimed against South Korea, and the creation of more sophisticated ICBMs aimed at the United States.

RELATED CTN NEWS:

US Blinken Balks at China’s Peace Initiative for Ukraine

Kuno National Park: India Receives 12 Cheetahs From South Africa