North Korea, which has been on the agenda frequently with its increase in ballistic missile tests in recent days, fired two more shots in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Officials in North Korea’s neighboring countries said Pyongyang launched two more ballistic missiles early Sunday, with the country’s seventh launch in the past few days.
Possible submarine launch
From the officials of the Ministry of Defense of Japan Toshiro Ino He told reporters that both missiles launched by North Korea in the early hours of Sunday morning reached an altitude of 100 kilometers and covered a distance of 350 kilometers.
It was stated that the first shot was fired at around 1:47 in the morning, while the second shot was fired six minutes later.
Authorities have launched an investigation for missiles that fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Evaluating the possibility of the missiles being submarine-launched, the authorities continue their detection studies.
An official from the South Korean capital, Seoul, told British news agency Reuters that the increase in the North’s missile launches indicates that it is closer than ever to restarting nuclear tests for the first time since 2017. On the other hand, the official added that preparations have been observed at the test site for months.
‘Destabilizing’
In a statement from the United States (US) military on the subject, North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs “destabilizing effect” highlighted. In the continuation of the statement made by the USA, it was stated that it was in close consultation with its allies on the issue.
Scary shot 5 years later
North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test on Tuesday and flew it over Japan after 5 years, putting Tokyo on alert. Authorities in Japan warned residents to take cover.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the nuclear envoys of the USA, South Korea and Japan had a phone call and shared the view that the North’s ballistic missile tests threaten the peace and security of the region and the international community, and also pose a risk in terms of civil aviation.
North Korea’s ‘self-defense’ defense
North Korea, which has conducted missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions, said on Saturday that the missile tests were for self-defense against direct US military threats and did not harm the security of its neighbors.
North Korean state news agency KCNA said, referring to an aviation administration spokesperson, “Our missile tests are a normal, planned self-defense measure to protect our country’s security and regional peace from direct U.S. military threats.” had made the statement.
exercise in response
North Korea conducted the 6th missile test in the last 2 weeks. The ballistic missile, launched by North Korea on October 4, passed through northeast Japan for the first time since 2017 and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
The United States and South Korea fired 4 surface-to-surface missiles into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) in joint exercises in response to North Korea’s ballistic missile launch.
On the other hand, the United States announced that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, which left the Korean Peninsula after the joint naval exercise, will return to the East Sea on October 5.
After that, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles in the direction of the East Sea on 6 October.
The United States, South Korea and Japan held an anti-submarine exercise in international waters adjacent to the East Sea on September 30 for the first time in the last five years.
It is known that the Pyongyang administration has carried out more than 20 ballistic missile tests at different ranges since the beginning of 2022, in violation of the United Nations (UN) resolutions.
publictv.com.tr // Foreign News
