North Korea fires missiles as South Korean leader heads to China
South Korea and Japan reported Sunday that North Korea had launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea, an action that South Korea’s presidential office deemed a provocative violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The launches occurred just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was scheduled to depart for Beijing for discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. These talks were expected to address North Korea’s nuclear program.
According to South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, the missiles were detected originating from North Korea’s capital region around 7:50 a.m. local time. The projectiles reportedly traveled approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles). South Korean and US authorities are currently analyzing the specifics of the launches. Japan’s defense ministry confirmed detecting a possible ballistic missile, noting that two missiles reached an altitude of 50,000 meters and traveled distances of 900 and 950 kilometers respectively.
In response to the launches, Seoul’s national security council convened an emergency meeting. A presidential office statement emphasized South Korea’s readiness to counter any provocations and its close information exchange with the US and Japan regarding the North’s missile activity.
This marks North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch since November, following the US president’s approval of South Korea’s plan to develop a nuclear-powered submarine. One analyst suggested that the US military operation in Venezuela on Saturday may have influenced Pyongyang’s decision to launch. North Korea has historically maintained that its nuclear and missile programs serve as a deterrent against perceived regime change efforts by Washington, despite repeated assurances from the US that it has no such intentions. An analyst from the Korea Institute for National Unification noted that Pyongyang likely fears the possibility of a sudden, precise strike from the United States that could threaten the regime’s survival.
The launch precedes a significant congress of North Korea’s ruling party, scheduled in the coming weeks and the first in five years. Economic policy, along with defense and military planning, are anticipated to be key agenda items. Ahead of this congress, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly ordered the expansion and modernization of the country’s missile production capabilities and the construction of additional factories to meet increasing demand. State media also reported on Sunday that Kim had visited a facility that produces tactical guided weapons, instructing them to increase current production capacity by 250%.
– Sarah Jenkins (Jenkins.S@theseouljournal.com)
