North fires 3 ballistic missiles
People watch a TV news program reporting about North Korea’s missile launch, at the Seoul Train Station in Seoul, Monday. North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, South Korea’s military said, in a show of force timed to coincide with the G20 economic summit in China. / AP-Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles, believed to be medium-range Rodong missiles, into waters off its east coast, Monday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The missiles flew about 1,000 kilometers before landing in waters under Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ) in the East Sea.
The launch took place soon after President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping wrapped up their bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China’s Hangzhou.
The missile launch also came a few days ahead of the anniversary of the establishment of the North’s government on Sept. 9. The South Korean military has been keenly monitoring possible military provocations from the North ahead of the anniversary.
The JCS said the latest launch was seen as the isolated state’s apparent armed protest aimed at showing off its missile capabilities and keeping up military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
“North Korea fired three ballistic missiles believed to be Rodong missiles from Hwangju County in North Hwanghae Province at around 12:14 p.m.,” the JCS said. “The North launched the missiles without declaring a navigational warning.”
The JCS noted that the total flight distance of the missiles was estimated at 1,000 kilometers, and they flew more than 400 kilometers into the JADIZ.
“South Korea and the United States are currently conducting a detailed analysis to glean more information,” the JCS said.
The latest launch came after Pyongyang successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in waters off its east coast on Aug. 24. The SLBM flew about 500 kilometers before landing in JADIZ waters, showing a significant improvement compared with past launches. At the time, the missile penetrated about 80 kilometers into the JADIZ.
On Aug. 3, the North launched two Rodong missiles, with one landing in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after flying 1,000 kilometers.
The Rodong has a maximum range of 1,300 kilometers and can hit targets on the Japanese mainland and Okinawa.
The latest launch is also seen by some observers as the North’s protest against Seoul’s new North Korea human rights law that went into effect Sunday.
Propaganda organs of the repressive state claim that Seoul was “acting blindly,” referring to the law.
A JCS official noted that the North’s provocation is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the North from any activity using ballistic missile technology.
“We are maintaining a full readiness posture in preparation for additional provocations,” the official said.