Seoul, March 19 (BNA): North Korea’s military said that North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) into the East Sea on Sunday, in another provocation, apparently in protest against the ongoing military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from Tongchang-ri on the country’s west coast at 11:05 a.m., and that the missile flew 800 kilometers before crashing into the sea.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that Tongchang-ri is home to North Korea’s main long-range missile launch site.
“The intelligence authorities in South Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive analysis on the details of (the missile),” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message sent to reporters.
It added that the allies would conduct their joint military exercises in a “high intensity” and “comprehensive” manner, while pledging to maintain a resolute readiness stance based on the ability to respond “overwhelmingly” to any provocations from North Korea.
“We strongly condemn North Korea’s series of ballistic missile launches as a major provocative act that harms peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the international community, and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. He urged North Korea to stop these launches immediately.
North Korea was escalating tensions as the allies conducted regular Freedom Shield exercises, which it denounced as “preparations to wage an aggressive war against it.” The 11-day training is scheduled to end on Thursday.
Last week, North Korea launched a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It followed the firing of two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday and what it claimed were “two strategic cruise missiles” from a submarine two days earlier.
The ICBM launch came just hours before President Yun Sok Yul and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit in Tokyo and agreed on stronger security cooperation against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
Concerns persisted that North Korea might use the allied maneuvers as a pretext to launch major provocations, such as an ICBM launch and even a nuclear test.
HF