The North Korean government claims to have test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles in an effort to mimic a nuclear attack on South Korean military installations.
According to state media, the tests were carried out as a cautionary measure against the deployment of strategic bombers to the region by the United States.
The missiles were reportedly launched off the east coast of South Korea at midnight, as reported by the local media.
The launches took place at the same time as Washington and Seoul were conducting their annual military rehearsals, which invariably anger the North.
Pyongyang has for a long time referred to the combined drills as a rehearsal for war by the United States.
According to the army of North Korea, the missiles were launched in the late hours of Wednesday as part of a “tactical nuclear strike drill simulating scorched earth strikes at major command centres and operational airfields” in South Korea.
According to the statement made by the army, “the drill is intended to send a clear message to the adversaries” who “challenge us with such military threats as the deployment of strategic nuclear assets despite our repeated warnings.”
The Ministry of Unification in South Korea has issued a scathing condemnation of Pyongyang for openly stating its intention to attack South Korea.
According to a statement made by an official of the ministry, “the more the North is obsessed with military threats and provocations, the more it will face overwhelming responses from South Korea, the United States, and Japan.”
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, also voiced his disapproval of the launches, which he claimed not only posed a threat to the peace and stability of Japan but also to the rest of the international community.
This year has seen an unprecedented number of nuclear and missile tests carried out by North Korea. The most recent development comes a day before South Korea and the United States bring their 11-day-long military drills known as Ulchi Freedom Shield to a close.
According to reports from South Korean media, the defensive exercises involved at least one United States B-1B strategic bomber flying above the Korean Peninsula.
According to state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a military exercise on Tuesday that was designed to prepare his senior commanders for all-out war with South Korea.
The exercise acted as a simulation of fending off an unexpected invasion and then launching a counter-attack in order to seize “the whole territory of the southern half,” according to the article.
In defiance of the United Nations’ sanctions, Kim Jong Un has pledged on multiple occasions to ramp up his nation’s production of nuclear warheads and advance the creation of more lethal weapons.
After launching a record number of missiles in 2022, Pyongyang has resumed regular tests of its missiles this year, including ones that are capable of reaching the territory of the United States.
Additionally, over the past few months, it has made several unsuccessful attempts to launch two satellites into space.
In the meantime, the United States announced on Wednesday that Pyongyang was engaged in “active” conversations with Russia regarding a possible arms sale.
During a trip to Pyongyang that took place one month ago, the defense minister of Russia was given a very public tour of North Korea’s armaments.
Kim Jong Un gives Russia’s Shoigu a demonstration of his country’s rockets.
The United States of America asserts that Mr. Shoigu utilized the trip to make an effort to persuade North Korea to sell him weapons and ammunition.
“High level discussions may continue in the coming months,” John Kirby, the spokesman for the United States National Security Council, said to reporters on Wednesday. “Following these negotiations,”
“Now, as part of these potential deals, Russia would receive significant quantities and multiple types of munitions from [North Korea], which the Russian military intends to use in Ukraine. ”
Pyongyang has frequently denied allegations that it has been transferring weaponry to Russia in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These allegations have been leveled against Pyongyang on multiple occasions.
