In its fourth weapons test in a month, North Korea on Monday fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.
The South Korean military reported that the missiles were fired from near the Suan Airport outside Pyongyang and flew 380 kilometres to the northeast, to a maximum altitude of 42 kilometres. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is currently on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, instructed officials to make “utmost efforts to ensure stability” on the Korean Peninsula, his office said.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government, who also detected the launch, condemned the tests, calling them a threat to regional peace and security. Japan’s defence minister, Nobuo Kishi, reported that the missiles appeared to have landed in the ocean near North Korea’s east coast. “It is self-evident that the aim of North Korea’s frequent missile launches is to improve their missile technology. The repeated launching of North Korea’s ballistic missiles is a grave problem for the international community, including Japan,” Kishi told reporters.
.@INDOPACOM Statement on #DPRK Missile Launches: “We are aware of the ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners..." More ➡️ https://t.co/26GPpesfAX
— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) January 17, 2022
The United States’s (US) military’s Indo-Pacific Command said it assessed the launch and concluded that it did not pose an immediate threat to the US or its allies. However, it added that “these missile launches highlight the destabilising impact of [North Korea’s] illicit weapons programme.”
Pyongyang’s most recent launch is its fourth such test in a month. On Friday, the country fired at least two ballistic missiles from a train. North Korea’s official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), said that the drill was aimed at “checking and judging the proficiency in the action procedures” of the missile. KCNA further added that the two guided missiles had successfully hit a set target in the East Sea.
Prior to this, Pyongyang fired what is believed to be another ballistic missile, from an inland area towards the ocean off North Korea’s east coast, which reportedly landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Just a week before that, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested a hypersonic missile, which also hit its target. Hypersonic weapons fly towards targets at lower altitudes and can achieve speeds more than five times the speed of sound – or about 6,200 kilometres per hour. The test makes North Korea part of a select group of countries that have attempted the development of hypersonic missiles. The short list includes the US and China.
The series of tests come after Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un had said in his New Year’s speech that his country would continue to strengthen its defence capabilities due to an increasingly uncertain military environment on the Korean peninsula.