Seoul, 20 March 2023 (GNP): In retaliation to ongoing U.S-South Korean military exercises that it perceives as an invasion rehearsal, North Korea reportedly increased testing activity on Sunday, firing a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast, as claimed by South Korea and Japan.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea reported that “Our military detected one short-range ballistic missile fired from around the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province at 11:05 am towards the East Sea”.
“Our military will maintain a solid readiness posture based on its ability to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation by North Korea while carrying out intensive and thorough combined exercises and drills”, it added.
Seoul and Washington have intensified defense cooperation in response to the North’s mounting military and nuclear threats including its recent series of provocative and illegal weapons tests.
The largest joint drills between South Korea and the US, in five years, are currently underway. They are called Freedom Shield and are taking place over 11 days.
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All of these training sessions are seen as invasion drills by North Korea, which has frequently threatened to respond with “overwhelming” force.
South Korea strictly slammed North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch and called them a “blatant breach” of the UN Security Council’s Resolution.
According to estimates made by South Korea and Japan, the missile fired from the northern Tongchangri region of the North traveled across the nation until it landed in the seas off its east coast.
According to them, the missile flew roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles), which reveals it was possibly aimed at South Korea.
The chief nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japan, and the United States spoke over the phone about the launch and strongly condemned it as dangerous conduct that directly threatens regional stability.
The decision was made to escalate collaboration, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, to make a clear international statement of opposition to the North’s actions.
South Korea’s military said it will diligently carry out the remaining joint training with the U.S. and maintain a state of alertness to “overwhelmingly” counter any violation by North Korea.
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Tokyo and WashingtIran and Iraq signs Border on both have also voiced their opposition to the launches.
As stated by the US Indo-Pacific Command, neither US soldiers nor its partners are immediately in danger as a result of Sunday’s launch.
Nonetheless, it said in a statement that Pyongyang’s latest missile launches demonstrate the destabilizing effects of its illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile projects.
The missile, according to Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino, fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and no damage to ships or planes was recorded.
“North Korea’s behavior threatens international peace and security, and is unacceptable”, he said in a news conference.
A strong protest from Japan was also lodged at the North Korean embassy in Beijing, it was said.
