ROK JCS Says North Korea Fired More Than 10 Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Into the East Sea, Flying About 300 km in Total

[Financial News] The Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS) said on the 20th that it detected more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Pyongyang area into the East Sea around 5 p.m. The missiles flew about 300 km, and South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis of their exact specifications.
The ROK JCS said, "The South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have tracked and shared related developments from the early stages of the launch, and we also closely shared information with Japan on North Korea's ballistic missiles." It added, "Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various activities under the firm ROK-U.S. combined defense posture and maintains the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."
This latest provocation was North Korea's 12th this year and its first show of force in eight days since the launch on the 12th. The ROK JCS added that the military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, while South Korea, the United States, and Japan are closely sharing information on North Korea's ballistic missiles and maintaining full readiness.
North Korea's latest provocation came after South Korea and the United States began their joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, on the 17th. It was also a provocation carried out while Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, was visiting South Korea.
In particular, after Kim Yo Jong, Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a statement the previous day rejecting President Donald Trump's conciliatory gesture, including a reduction in Ulchi Freedom Shield, the move is being seen as a follow-up response and a calculated attempt by North Korea to raise its own leverage.
North Korea fired a missile into the East Sea on the 12th, ahead of the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield. The short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) flew about 700 km and fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Missiles with a range of 300 km to less than 1,000 km are classified as short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), and the launch was seen as possibly aimed at verifying the performance of a hypersonic missile. Accordingly, analysts said the launch may have been a test of the range and guidance capabilities of an upgraded version of North Korea's representative SRBM, the KN-23 short-range ballistic missile, or of a hypersonic missile under development that can perform evasive maneuvers. Earlier, North Korea also fired one Close-Range Ballistic Missile (CRBM), with a range of less than 300 km, from the Wonsan area into the East Sea around 5 p.m. on the 6th.
[email protected] Lee Jong-yoon Reporter