Korea: Pyongyang and Seoul launch ballistic missiles on same day

A man watches the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile on television in a Seoul street on September 15, 2021. AFP - JUNG YEON-JE

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North Korea sent two ballistic missiles into the Sea of ​​Japan on Wednesday, September 15, imitated a few hours later by South Korea.

The Pyongyang regime is thus carrying out its second ballistic missile test of the year just a few days after several tests of a new long-range cruise missile.

A test in direct violation of UN resolutions.

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With our correspondent in Seoul

,

Nicolas Rocca

This Wednesday, ballistic missile tests took place on both sides of the border between the Korean peninsula.

A practice usually rather characteristic of North Korea which raises the tone and shows that it continues to develop its military arsenal.

After testing new cruise missiles this weekend, this time, two ballistic missiles were launched, in defiance of UN resolutions.

The two projectiles traveled 800 kilometers at a maximum height of 60 kilometers before landing in the Sea of ​​Japan, a trajectory which does not correspond to any identified missile of the country.

Pyongyang is sending a message to its neighbors and to the United States, but these tests can also be motivated by the internal agenda.

Sense of national unity

The country has been isolated and faced with food difficulties

since the start of the pandemic and may seek to create a sense of national unity.

The schedule of these tests coincides with the test this Wednesday of the South Korean neighbor who tested

a ballistic missile from a submarine

, entering the closed club of 8 countries to have the capacity to do so.

These events come as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in South Korea.

Japan reacted through the voice of its Prime Minister, deeming the North Korean ballistic test scandalous.

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  • UN

  • South Korea

  • North Korea