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North Korea has ramped up its missile tests in recent months as it continues to protest South Korea’s military drills with the United States and Japan. A missile launched by Pyongyang landed in South Korean waters for the first time, prompting Seoul to respond.
The South Korean military and Japanese coast guard said Wednesday that North Korea fired at least 23 missiles, landing less than 23 kilometers off the coast of South Korea. South Korea responded hours later with its fighter planes firing three air-to-ground missiles into the sea towards the northern area of the two countries' maritime border.
The South Korean transport ministry said some of the air routes on the east coast were closed to commercial aircraft due to the incident, and an air raid warning was issued to the South Korean island of Ulleung, urging residents to evacuate.
“Our military’s response reaffirms our resolve to sternly respond to any provocations and shows that we are capable of accurately striking our enemy,” said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to Yonhap news.
Later the same day, North Korea fired around 100 artillery shells into the eastern maritime border, according to the South Korean military. The shells were followed by six more missiles that were launched toward the East Sea, which is also known as the Sea of Japan.
This latest escalation of tensions in the peninsula follows North Korea’s demand that the US and South Korea stop their ongoing large-scale military drills, claiming that “such military rashness and provocation can no longer be tolerated.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol convened a National Security Meeting following the launches, calling the incident “unprecedented” as it took place while the country is currently in a national period of mourning due to the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush that killed over 150 people.
The US, South Korea, and Japan have vowed to issue an appropriate response should North Korea proceed with its first-ever nuclear test since 2017. In a joint news conference of deputy foreign ministers, South Korean deputy first vice foreign minister Cho Hyun-dong said that it was agreed that an “unparalleled” scale of response would be issued to North Korea if Pyongyang tests a nuclear weapon.
