Following an American nuclear-armed submarine’s first port visit in South Korea in decades, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday that North Korea had launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean.
According to Yonhap, the launch was confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). They were reportedly launched early on Wednesday from Pyongyang’s Sunan district and traveled around 550 kilometers (340 miles) before crashing into the East Sea, often known as the Sea of Japan.
The launches were denounced by the JCS as “acts of significant provocation” and a blatant disregard for the decisions made by the UN Security Council.
The launches were also noted by the Japanese defense ministry.
“We are analyzing details, but we estimated that they have fallen east of the Korean Peninsula, outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone,” it stated in a tweet.
In response to escalating tensions with the North, Seoul and Washington are stepping up their defense cooperation. The launches are the latest in a string of nuclear tests by Pyongyang.
The inaugural Nuclear Consultative Group meeting was conducted on Tuesday in Seoul, when it was revealed that an American nuclear submarine will be visiting Busan for the first time since 1981.
North Korea, which fears having US nuclear weapons positioned all around the Korean peninsula, was anticipated to react strongly to the deployment.
Additionally, the launches came less than a week after solid-fuel Hwasong-18, North Korea’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile, was launched under Kim Jong Un’s personal supervision.
Kim has urged for accelerating the development of weapons, especially tactical nukes, while diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have stopped.
In retaliation, Seoul and Washington conducted combined military drills using cutting-edge stealth aircraft and vital US assets.
Washington announced on Tuesday that a US soldier is reportedly being held by North Korea after breaching the highly guarded border. This news coincides with the launches.
