At the end of a year that saw a record number of trials
North Korea launches 3 ballistic missiles... and the "South" is on alert
A TV screen at Seoul's subway station shows a news report about North Korean missiles yesterday.
A.F.B
Yesterday, North Korea launched three short-range ballistic missiles, while South Korea confirmed that its army maintains a state of full alert, at the end of a year, during which Pyongyang launched an unprecedented number of missiles, which led to a sharp escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula. The experiments included a series of standard weapons tests, including the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the United Nations sanctions are prohibited from testing.
The new launch came in the wake of South Korea's announcement of a successful test of a solid-fuel space launcher, and following the incursion of five North Korean drones into South Korean airspace earlier last week.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected "three short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea in the East Sea," the Korean name for the Sea of Japan.
The agency added that the South Korean army maintains a state of full alert, while cooperating closely with the United States, and enhancing surveillance and vigilance.
For its part, the United States said North Korea's latest ballistic missile test did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory or Washington's allies.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that US commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan remain "firm," adding that North Korea's launches highlight the destabilizing effect of its weapons of mass destruction.
In the same context, the senior nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan and the United States denounced North Korea's launch of three new ballistic missiles. Takehiro Funakoshi, by phone, warned North Korea's nuclear envoys that "its tactic of routine military provocations will not work, and that the international community will respond forcefully to any actions that violate UN resolutions."
The ministry said that the envoys agreed to strengthen tripartite security cooperation against North Korea and to prepare for any further provocations. They also agreed to increase contacts with China, which plays an important role in containing Pyongyang's military measures.
The incursion of North Korean marches, last Monday, which was the first in five years, prompted an apology from the defense minister in Seoul, after the South Korean army failed to shoot down even one march, despite the deployment of fighter jets and attack helicopters in an air operation that lasted five hours.
South Korean President Yun Sok-yul described the air incursion as "unbearable," promising to "make North Korea understand that provocations will always have dire consequences for it."
Two days ago, the South Korean army conducted exercises to strengthen its anti-drone defense, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Yesterday, Seoul conducted a successful test on a new space launcher, as part of Seoul's efforts to enhance its reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities via satellite.
The new missile launch coincided with a major annual meeting of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, at which leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials presented their political goals for 2023 in key areas such as diplomacy, security and the economy, and Kim set new major goals for the North Korean army.
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