Nuclear test looms as Kim goes ballistic
SEOUL: North Korea has continued its relentless missiletesting program, launching one long-range and two shortrange ballistic missiles – causing people in South Korea and Japan to urgently seek shelter.
Seoul’s military said it had detected one long-range ballistic missile fired into the Sea of Japan from the Sunan area of the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
Shortly after, it noted two short-range ballistic missiles fired from Kaechon in South Pyongan province.
South Korea’s military “is maintaining a full readiness posture while closely co-oper
ating with the US and strengthening surveillance and vigilance,” it said.
The launches come just one day after North Korea fired 23 missiles, including one that landed near South Korea’s territorial waters.
Pyongyang’s multiple missile launches come as Seoul and Washington are staging their largest-ever joint air drills, involving hundreds of warplanes from both sides.
Local media reported that air raid sirens had gone off on South Korea’s eastern island of Ulleungdo, where residents were warned on Wednesday to seek shelter after one of Pyongyang’s short-range ballistic missiles crossed the de facto maritime border.
Tokyo also confirmed Thursday’s launches, with the Japanese government issuing a special warning to residents in northern regions, telling them to seek shelter.
Tokyo initially said the missile had flown over Japan, prompting a “J-Alert”, but Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada later said “the missile did not cross the Japanese archipelago, but disappeared over the Sea of Japan.”
Given the missile was “accompanied by evacuation warnings, it strongly suggests it was an IRBM or possible ICBM on a full-distance launch,” Chad O’Carroll of Seoul-based specialist site NK News said on Twitter. “Latter could be very worrying for some if it successfully goes a significant distance.”
Washington and Seoul have repeatedly warned that North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un’s missile launches could culminate in another nuclear test, which would be Pyongyang’s seventh.
The blitz of launches indicates “quite possible tactical nuclear weapons test(s) will be next – possibly very soon,” Mr O’Carroll added.
Pyongyang has called the US-South Korean air exercise, dubbed Vigilant Storm, “an aggressive and provocative military drill targeting the DPRK”, and warned that, if it continues, Seoul and Washington will “pay the most horrible price in history”.