South Korea drops bombs in response to NK missile provocation

An F-15K fighter jet of the Republic of Korea Air Force drops two Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs during a combined air strike drill with the U.S. Air Force, Tuesday, in response to North Korea's ballistic missile launch earlier in the day. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Seoul flexes military muscle as Pyongyang fires ballistic missile over Japan

By Nam Hyun-woo

South Korea flexed its military muscle in response to North Korea's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday morning, firing two precision bombs at a firing range in the West Sea.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), four F-15K fighters of the Republic of Korea Air Force and four F-16 fighters of the U.S. Air Force participated in a joint drill on Tuesday afternoon, and the South Korean side dropped Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs at a target on the uninhabited island of Jikdo, about 50 kilometers off Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.

JDAM is a precision bomb made from an unguided conventional bomb upgraded with a guidance system. It is used on targets that require extra accuracy, such as long-range artillery stationed inside caves or bunkers.

"The combined flight and the precision strike drills showcased that South Korea and the U.S. are committed to responding sternly to any threats from North Korea and possess overwhelming capabilities to precisely strike the origin of provocations," the JCS said in a statement.

A Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile is launched in this May 14, 2017, file photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

The air strike drill came after the JCS detected an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) being launched at 7:23 a.m. from Mupyong-ri in the North's Jagang Province.

The missile flew some 4,500 kilometers over Japan at a maximum height of 970 kilometers and a speed of Mach 17. Given the trajectory, the speed and the launch location, experts said the missile could be a Hwasong-12 IRBM, which the North already test-fired from Mupyong-ri on Jan. 30.

President Yoon Suk-yeol slammed the launch, saying the regime's "reckless nuclear provocation" will face a determined response from the international community.

"As you have seen, the North fired a 4,000-kilometer-range intermediate missile over Japan," Yoon told reporters as he entered the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul.

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"As I stated earlier on Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day, this reckless nuclear provocation will end up facing grave consequences from our military, allied forces and the international community."

President Yoon Suk-yeol attends a National Security Council meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday, after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan. Courtesy of presidential office

This is the 23rd missile ― 21 ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles ― that the North has fired so far this year, and the ninth missile provocation since Yoon took office in May.

In the past 10 days, the North has been escalating its missile threats. Since Sept. 25, it has launched eight ballistic missiles. This latest launch was the first time that Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan since September 2017, when the regime threatened to launch missile strikes at Guam.

"President Yoon recognized that this provocation is a clear violation of United Nations principles and rules and ordered the government to cooperate with the U.S. and the international community to pursue corresponding measures," the presidential office said in a press release following a National Security Council meeting that took place after the launch.

"President Yoon noted that the North's nuclear and missile provocations will only strengthen regional security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and he also ordered consultations with the U.S. and Japan to enhance the U.S.' extended deterrence."

Japan's prime minister also strongly condemned the launch, calling it an "act of violence." The Japanese government activated the country's missile alert warning system and urged its people to take shelter.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that the launch was a "reckless decision," while National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also held separate calls with South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, calling the launch "an unacceptable threat."

Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles are carried on transporter erector launchers during a military parade in Pyongyang, in this Feb. 8, 2018, file photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

While the three countries condemned the provocations, experts interpreted Tuesday's launch as a prelude to the regime's seventh nuclear weapons test, which will undoubtedly be a meaningful factor affecting the U.S. midterm elections.

"Today's launch is seen as a build-up effort toward the regime's seventh nuclear test, given that the regime did so five years ago," said Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

In 2017, the North launched Hwasong-12 missiles over Japan on Aug. 29 and Sept. 15. Between the launches, the regime conducted its sixth nuclear weapons test on Sept. 3.

"There could be another test for an intercontinental ballistic missile before the seventh nuclear test," Go said. "And chances are high that the North will conduct the seventh test before the U.S. midterm elections given the advantages in conducting the test before the election outweigh those of doing it afterward."