North Korea Launches Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Again in a Week, Reports Reuters

By Hyonhee Shin and Kantaro Komiya

SEOUL/TOKYO – North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday toward its eastern coast, as reported by South Korea and Japan. This occurrence follows Pyongyang’s recent unveiling of a uranium enrichment facility and its commitment to enhancing its nuclear arsenal.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the missiles were fired from Kaechon, located north of the capital, Pyongyang, around 6:50 a.m. local time, traveling approximately 400 km (249 miles) in a northeast direction. Specific details on the number of missiles launched or their landing locations were not provided.

The JCS issued a statement condemning North Korea’s missile launch as a blatant provocation that poses a significant threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. They also promised a robust response to any additional provocations.

Shortly after the initial report, Japan’s coast guard confirmed another ballistic missile launch from North Korea. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara stated that at least one missile fell near North Korea’s eastern inland coast and declared the launches unacceptable.

In response, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a meeting to evaluate the security situation, urging Pyongyang to cease all provocations, including its recent practice of sending balloons with debris into South Korean territory.

During a phone call, the nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japan, and the United States denounced the missile launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions and pledged a firm response to any further actions by North Korea, according to an official statement from Seoul’s foreign ministry.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed its awareness of the missile launches and reported ongoing consultations with South Korea and Japan.

Regarding Potential Arms Exports
Reports from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing anonymous sources, suggested that North Korea might have utilized KN-23 or Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missiles, potentially indicative of armaments suspected to have been supplied to Russia.

In July, North Korea tested two missiles equipped with what it referred to as a super-large warhead, and one of these seemingly fell inland, based on the JCS’s assessments of the launch site and trajectory. Prior to this, North Korea conducted several short-range missile launches last Thursday, the first incident in over two months, which it described as a test of a new 600-mm multiple launch rocket system.

South Korea’s JCS suggested that these launches could be intended to gauge weapons suitable for potential export to Russia, especially amid increasing military collaboration between the two nations. The United States, South Korea, and Ukraine have previously accused North Korea of supplying rockets and missiles to Russia for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine, purportedly in exchange for economic and military aid. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have refuted claims of any illegal arms trading.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, currently visiting Russia, engaged in discussions with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow about enhancing bilateral relations. Additionally, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s chief security official, visited Pyongyang last week for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The missile launches on Wednesday coincided with North Korea’s first presentation of images showing centrifuges used for producing nuclear bomb fuel, following Kim’s inspection of a uranium enrichment site and his call for the procurement of more weapons-grade material to strengthen the country’s arsenal.

Analyst Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, speculated that the missile launches may be intended to demonstrate North Korea’s military capabilities while escalating tensions in advance of the upcoming U.S. elections. He suggested that discussions about weapons supplies likely occurred during recent high-level exchanges between North Korea and Russia, and that the missile tests could also signal preparations for an impending seventh nuclear test.