N. Korea missile lands in Japanese waters
/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won
By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea launched two ballistic missiles, believed to be the medium-range Nodongs, Wednesday morning, with one landing in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after flying some 1,000 kilometers, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The other missile is believed to have exploded immediately after launch, the JCS said.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that one missile appeared to have landed in Japan’s EEZ 250 kilometers west of the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. It was the first time for any North Korean missiles to have landed in Japan’s EEZ waters.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe strongly criticized the North, calling the launch an “unforgivable outrage.”
Military officials and experts here believe that the North’s latest launch was apparently to show off its ability to strike targets in Japan, including bases of the United States Forces Japan, citing the repressive state’s recent provocations to protest the planned deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.
“The missiles, believed to be the Nodong type, were fired from near Eunyul in South Hwanghae Province at 7:50 a.m.,” said the JCS. “One missile flew some 1,000 kilometers, while the other one exploded right after launch.”
The Nodong has a maximum range of 1,300 kilometers and can hit targets on the Japanese mainland and Okinawa.
The JCS also noted, “By firing ballistic missiles that potentially can be mounted with nuclear warheads, the North openly showed its ambition and willingness to strike South Korea’s ports and airbases as well as surrounding nations.”
The U.S. Strategic Command also confirmed the launch of the two North Korean missiles, but its analysis about the launch site was different from that of Seoul’s JCS, as the command said that “the simultaneous launch of two missiles occurred near the western city of Hwangju.”
Eunyul in South Hwanghae Province is 50 kilometers from Hwangju in North Hwanghae Province.
The latest launch came after the Kim Jong-un regime fired three short-range ballistic missiles, July 19, believed to be Scuds and Nodongs, with two flying about 500 to 600 kilometers before landing in the East Sea. At the time, Pyongyang said the launch was to simulate preemptive strikes on the South’s ports and airbases.
A series of provocations have followed Pyongyang’s July 11 warning that it would make “merciless” retaliatory strikes against Seoul and Washington from the moment the THAAD location was selected. The allies announced July 13 that the THAAD battery will be deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, next year to better counter the North’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Seoul’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told reporters, “The North’s latest missile provocation underlined the need for the allies to deploy THAAD as the launch was a good example that shows how the North’s missile threats can materialize into reality.”
Officials here said there is greater possibility of additional missile launches, given that the North has recently declared a no-navigation zone in the East and West Sea.
Japanese Prime minister Abe called a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and told Japanese officials to ensure the safety of the country’s airplanes and ships, according to Japanese media outlets. He added his country will handle the provocations in cooperation with South Korea and the United States.
For its part, Washington also condemned the North’s latest missile launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions, expressing its strong commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan.
“We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests, which violate multiple U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea’s launches using ballistic missile technology,” Anna Richey-Allen, a State Department spokeswoman, told reporters.
She said Washington plans to raise the issue at the United Nations to bolster international resolve in holding the North accountable for these provocative actions.
“We call on North Korea to refrain from actions and rhetoric that further raise tensions in the region and to focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international obligations and commitments,” she said.