North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Friday, the South Korean military said, as it wraps up nearly two weeks of massive drills aimed at deterring its neighbor.
The launch, at a time of growing fears that the country in the north is preparing for its first nuclear test since 2017, was the latest in a record year of tests, whether of short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or others.
The missiles were fired from the Tongcheon area of Gangwon province on North Korea’s east coast, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South (JCS) said, four days after neighbors exchanged warning fire on the west coast amid growing tension.
“Our military is maintaining a posture of full readiness,” the JCS said in a statement, adding that it has stepped up monitoring and security while coordinating closely with the United States.
South Korean troops will end the 12-day Hoguk 22 field exercises this Friday, which included some exercises with US troops, while South Korean and US aircraft are expected to begin major exercises on Monday. 31).
North Korea said its recent missile launches were a protest against the joint exercises, which it says are provocative and a rehearsal for an invasion. South Korea and the United States say the exercises are defensive and necessary to counter threats from the North.
The United States and its allies believe the North may be on the cusp of resuming nuclear bomb testing for the first time since 2017.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the North had completed all necessary technical preparations for an underground explosion at its Punggye-ri test site, which has been officially closed since 2018. North Korea has carried out six nuclear tests. there from 2006 to 2017.
A seventh North Korean nuclear test would be yet another “confirmation of a program that is moving ahead at full throttle in an incredibly worrying way,” the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Thursday.
South Korea has warned that the North’s resumption of nuclear tests would have to be met with an “unparalleled” response from allies, but neither it nor the United States gave details.
Source: CNN Brasil
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