North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, its neighbors said, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to put his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals.
According to The Associated Press, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from North Korea's capital flying 360 kilometers before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, but there were no reports of damage.
The reported fight distances suggest the missiles were designed to attack targets in South Korea. In trilateral phone talks, diplomats from South Korea, Japan and the US condemned the launches that they said threatens regional and international peace. The US Indo-Pacific Command separately reaffirmed that the U.S. security commitment to South Korea and Japan remains “ironclad.”
The launches were North Korea's first public weapons firing activities in more than two months. On July 1, North Korea claimed to have tested a new tactical weapon capable of delivering a “super-large” 4.5 ton-class warhead.
In a Monday speech marking his government's 76th foundation anniversary, Kim said he would redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies. Kim made such a pledge saying North Korea faces “a grave threat” because of what he called “the reckless expansion” of a US-led regional military bloc.
Kim has made similar vows numerous times, but his latest threat came as outside experts believe North Korea could carry out a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test-launches ahead of the US presidential election in November to boost its leverage in future dealings with the US.
On Sunday, North Korea's state media published a photo of Kim inspecting a 12-axel vehicle that would be the country's biggest missile launch platform. That sparked speculation that the North could be developing a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US mainland.
Commercial satellite images indicate that North Korea’s northeastern nuclear test site incurred minor damage from heavy summer rains in recent weeks and that no notable recent work was detected at its tunnels, 38 North, a North Korea-focused website, said an analytical piece published Wednesday.
