North Korea Fires Missiles After South Korea Hypersonic Test
North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, days after South Korea conducted the first test of its domestically developed hypersonic missile, adding to rapidly rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched at around 9:20 a.m. local time from an area near Pyongyang.
The weapons appeared to include more than one missile type, with at least one travelling more than 900 kilometres before falling into waters east of the Korean Peninsula.
Japan also detected two projectiles, with one reportedly showing an irregular flight path consistent with advanced manoeuvring capabilities.
Launch Follows South Korea Hypersonic Test
The latest North Korean launch came four days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the first flight test of the country’s domestically developed hypersonic missile.
Seoul described the weapon as a strategic asset capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds and following unpredictable trajectories designed to complicate interception.
North Korea had itself tested an advanced hypersonic-capable ballistic missile earlier this month.
Tensions Rise Across Korean Peninsula
South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency meeting and condemned the latest launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The latest firing marked North Korea’s fourth missile launch in about a month as both Koreas accelerate development of advanced weapons systems.
Tensions have also been heightened by a recent landmine incident near the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers, with Seoul blaming North Korea for planting the explosives.
