Stuttgart – North Korea launched two ballistic missiles eastward on Monday, falling into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, off the Japanese coast.
The missiles reportedly flew about 400 kilometers before landing in the sea, with South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stating that they were fired from an area near Pyongyang.
This missile launch comes as a response to the recent arrival of a US nuclear-powered submarine at a South Korean naval base, marking the first time a US submarine has visited South Korea since the 1980s.
The presence of the submarine and joint security activities between Seoul and Washington D.C. have heightened tensions in the region, prompting North Korea to conduct a swift twin missile launch in retaliation.
Despite the launch, the US military stated that the missiles do not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory, or its allies, but that they underscore the sensitivity of the situation and the need for continued vigilance.
The timing of the launch is also significant, as it comes ahead of the anniversary of the 1953 armistice agreement that ended hostilities between North and South Korea. The two countries remain technically at war, as a peace treaty was never signed.
North Korea commemorates the day as a victory and is currently hosting Chinese dignitaries, marking the first foreign visit to the country since its border closure for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The situation reflects a particularly low point in relations between North and South Korea, with both sides having been engaged in military posturing for decades, despite unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the longstanding issues between the two Koreas.
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