North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongyang on the morning of October 12. This marks another display of military might following a missile launch from the Wonsan area on October 3.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that "our military detected multiple ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea from the Pyongyang area around 9:20 a.m."
They added, "Our military has strengthened monitoring and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, while the U.S., South Korea, and Japan are closely sharing information related to North Korean ballistic missiles to maintain a state of readiness."
The Joint Chiefs noted that the missiles launched this time flew over 900 kilometers and are seen as a show of force in response to the successful test launch of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) on October 8.
This launch comes amid ongoing tensions between the two Koreas following a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on September 21. South Korea has demanded an apology and responsible actions from North Korea, but the North has denied responsibility and continued its criticism of the South.
Earlier, Kim Yo-jong, the deputy director of the Workers' Party of Korea, criticized the South's investigation into the landmine incident and its demands for an apology in a statement on October 2. She also condemned South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's remarks at the Armed Forces Day ceremony about taking practical measures to reduce military tensions, calling it a "climax of a farce."
Additionally, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea from the Wonsan area around 6:30 a.m. on October 3. As North Korea continues its missile launches alongside its criticisms of the South, the burden on the South Korean government's efforts to lower tensions is expected to increase.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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