Seven were fired by South Korea and one by the U.S., according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said they showed that “even if North Korea fires missiles from multiple locations, (South Korea The South and the United States have the capacity and willingness to strike immediately with precision. “
North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles from multiple parts of the country into waters east of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who described the actions as “serious provocation that it harms the peace and stability not only of the Korean Peninsula but also of the international community. “
The missile exchange comes as North Korea intensifies its provocations in the region, amid growing concern that Pyongyang is preparing for a nuclear test. It also follows a shifting tone toward North Korea’s aggression on Seoul, following the election of South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office on May 10th. – an exit from his predecessor Moon Jae-in, who had promoted dialogue and peaceful reconciliation.
The president vowed to respond “firmly and severely” to North Korea’s provocations during a speech in commemoration of South Korea’s Remembrance Day on Monday.
North Korea’s launch on Sunday is its third missile test since the beginning of Yoon’s term and the 17th of this year.
Pyongyang’s previous launch took place on May 25 when US President Joe Biden returned to the United States after a trip to Asia. Biden’s trip included a stop in Seoul during which the US president and his South Korean counterpart agreed to begin talks on restarting and potentially expanding joint military exercises that had come to a halt under his predecessor Donald Trump. .
The U.S. and South Korea also fired missiles in response to North Korea’s May 25 missile launch. Including Monday’s launch, South Korea has fired three times this year, after a hiatus since 2017.
On both sides, missile launches are seen as a show of strength and are not aimed at specific targets. Missiles usually land in the sea.
North Korea’s latest launch comes a day after South Korean and U.S. navies completed a three-day combined exercise in Japan’s Okinawa waters, the South Korean military has confirmed. on CNN.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also “vigorously protested” North Korea’s latest launch, telling reporters on Sunday that it was a clear violation of UN resolutions, while Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi called it “unprecedented” and confirmed at least six, but possibly more, missiles. fired by North Korea had fallen out of Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
On Sunday, the U.S. Armed Forces and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces also conducted a joint drill after North Korea’s multiple missile launches, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Public Affairs Department said.
U.S. and Japanese forces conducted a “bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise” to “demonstrate the US-Japan alliance’s willingness to respond to regional threats,” he said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of Japan said the exercise reaffirmed the readiness of both forces, “which demonstrates the close cooperation between Japan and the United States to deal with the threat of ballistic missiles and further strengthening the alliance between Japan and the United States. “
CNN’s Blake Essig and Emi Jozuka in Tokyo contributed to this story.