Yonhap on July 25 quoted a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) saying that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast. The move came amid heightened tensions in the region, as the Korean peninsula will mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War on July 27.
The South Korean military said two ballistic missiles fired by North Korea from areas near Pyongyang were launched into the East Sea at 11:55 p.m. on July 24 and midnight, flying about 400 kilometers before falling into the sea. Meanwhile, Kyodo reported that the Japanese Defense Ministry said the two missiles reached an altitude of about 100 kilometers and fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
North Korea fires two ballistic missiles after US submarine arrives in South Korea
Earlier on July 24, the South Korean military said the nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis had arrived on Jeju Island to replenish military supplies. This is the second US submarine to visit South Korea recently. The previous submarine, the USS Kentucky, armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, arrived at Busan port on July 18. A day later, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area of Pyongyang. North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam warned that the submarine's arrival in South Korea could be a legal condition for Pyongyang to use nuclear weapons.
The Hwasong-18 missile launched by North Korea in this photo released on July 13.
Responding to North Korea's latest missile launch, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio condemned Pyongyang for violating UN Security Council resolutions. He said Pyongyang's "provocation" threatens the peace and stability of Japan, the region and the international community. On the US side, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the launch and affirmed the defense commitment to South Korea and Japan, while calling for dialogue with North Korea. The South Korean Foreign Ministry also said on July 25 that the country had criticized North Korea's move.
Pyongyang has not yet issued a statement following yesterday's missile launch. In an editorial on July 24, the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the Workers' Party of Korea, wrote that "the strengthening of military power will have no end," stressing that the goal will be achieved more quickly "at any cost." "Eternal peace based on self-defense power can overwhelmingly defeat any enemy," the article stressed, adding that if North Korea had not focused on developing nuclear and missile weapons and had only focused on economic development, a nuclear war could have broken out and caused consequences greater than any war in history.
In another development, Yonhap reported that South Korean Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul met with Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command John C. Aquilino in Hawaii on July 24 (local time) to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, about 50 South Korean Marines will participate in the first-ever exercise on the US mainland, taking place from August 2 to 29 in the city of Twentynine Palms, California.
Russian, Chinese delegations to visit North Korea
At the invitation of the Ministry of National Defense of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a Russian military delegation will visit the DPRK to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. The delegation will be led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. A high-ranking Chinese delegation will also visit the DPRK to participate in the commemorative activities. The delegation will be led by Li Hongzhong, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK.
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