“GSOMIA Discarded” Launched the next day

On the morning of the 24th, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles that seemed to be short-range ballistic missiles from the eastern Hamgyeong south road to the Sea of ​​Japan. The background of North Korea ’s launch the day after Korea announced the destruction of the Military Information Comprehensive Protection Agreement = GSOMIA, there is an aim to shake the cooperation between the three countries of Japan, the US, and South Korea as the conflict between Japan and Korea deepens. It seems that.

The Korean Army's Joint Staff Headquarters appears to be a short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of ​​Japan from around 6:45 am and 7: 2 am on the 24th at around 6:45 am Announced that two flying bodies were launched and the flight distance was about 380 km.

The altitude was 97 km, which was the highest in the last launch, so the US and South Korea are proceeding with a detailed analysis of differences in trajectories.

Also, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Korean Army emphasizes the cooperation that GSOMIA, which South Korea notified Japan on the 23rd, is valid until November and shares necessary information based on requests from Japan.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense officially announced the launch on the 24th, around 7:10 am, while the Korean Army's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced about 30:40, about 7:40 am.

Many media, such as the Korean Union News, were quick to announce Japan, and responded swiftly to relieve the concern that the abandonment of the agreement would affect Japan's collection of information about North Korea. It conveys how to see it.

The Korean newspaper “Korean Daily” reports that North Korea ’s intention to launch is “interpreted that it has tried to create a crack in Japan-US-Korea cooperation after declaring the end of the agreement”.

The reason why North Korea launched was that it seems that there is an aim to shake the cooperation between the three countries of Japan, the US and South Korea as the conflict between Japan and Korea deepens, but President Trump of the United States told reporters on the 23rd On the other hand, “Kim seems to like the missile launch experiment, but the United States has never regulated short-range missiles,” he reiterated his idea of ​​not considering it as a problem.

Expert “Shows North Korea Missile Development Willingness”

Dr. Kunihiko Miyake, a former diplomat who is familiar with East Asian security, said that North Korea had launched the day after Korea announced that it would destroy GSOMIA with Japan. Is developing new missiles to gain a military advantage over South Korea, indicating that “the intention of missile development will not change regardless of the results of GSOMIA”.

Regarding the impact of the destruction of GSOMIA, Mr. Miyake said, “The trouble with North Korea ’s missile launch is Korea. If the agreement expires, it will affect the exchange of information between the authorities of Japan and Korea. Will continue to provocate further in the future, ”he pointed out the need for Japan and the United States to continue to seek cooperation from South Korea.