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| This photo released by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Aug. 10 shows North Korea test firing a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) which resembles the U.S. Army's tactical missile system. North Korea again fired two projectiles speculated to be SRBMs Friday, Seoul's JCS said, six days after the previous launch. KCNA-Yonhap |
Projectiles speculated to be short-range ballistic missiles
By Jung Da-min
North Korea fired two projectiles into the East Sea Friday morning from the northern side of Tongchon in Gangwon Province according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This was the sixth weapon test by Pyongyang in the past 23 days, with the previous launch of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) taking place six days ago on Aug. 10.
The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the same day snubbed President Moon Jae-in's remarks that Seoul would carry on its peace efforts for dialogue and cooperation with Pyongyang in Thursday speech to mark the 74th National Liberation Day.
"He (President Moon) said the dialogue atmosphere was not marred despite some recent worrisome acts of North Korea and that things have changed from that in the past when the Korean Peninsula vibrated owing to a single provocation by North Korea ― the reckless remarks which had nothing to do with the liberation day," read the statement by the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country.
"We have nothing to talk any more with the South Korean authorities nor have any idea to sit with them again."
Detected at around 8:01 a.m. and 8: 16 a.m. respectively, the North's projectiles flew around 230 kilometers at an apogee of 30 kilometers at a maximum speed of Mach 6.1. They were speculated to be SRBMs, considering the characteristics of the flight.
But the JCS said Seoul and Washington are still analyzing more details about the launch including the type of projectiles.
Less than an hour after Pyongyang's launch, Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC) session presided by National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong.
The NSC expressed concerns for the launch saying it could heighten military tensions on the Korean Peninsula but did not comment on details of the launch including the type of projectiles.
"North Korea's series of launches of short-range projectiles citing the South Korea-U.S. Combined Command Post Training is worrisome as it could heighten military tensions on the Korean Peninsula," the NSC said.
"Seoul and Washington have agreed to check an impenetrable combined defense posture to counter any military situation through the Combined Command Post Training led by our (South Korean) military for the transfer of operational control (from Washington to Seoul)."
Seoul and Washington were staging their first joint military drill led by a South Korean general in preparation for the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Kicking off on Aug. 11, the joint command post exercise (CPX) would continue until Aug. 20.
Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said it seemed that Seoul has become new target of Pyongyang even though it was trying to strengthen internal solidarity.
Kim said Pyongyang no longer sees the value in talking to Seoul as the Moon administration could not get sanctions exemptions from the U.S. and international society to resume inter-Korean economic projects including the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tourism project.
"Besides, the sanctions exemptions the North wants are different from those pursued by the South," Kim pointed out. "Pyongyang wants to get broader sanctions exemptions so that it could get economic support from China and wants to use the sanctions exemptions for inter-Korean projects as leverage."
The personal diplomacy between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump will continue including exchanges of correspondences, but this is rather from the two leaders' motivations for domestic politics than to make substantial progress in the denuclearization negotiations, he said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has left room for negotiations with the North, with Trump repeatedly saying the North did not break its promise to the U.S. by firing short-range missiles as they were not testing large-scale weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or nuclear bombs.
