The South Korean military said that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday, July 1. This occurs one day after the North threatened “fatal consequences” in response to significant joint drills in the South.
The first missile launch occurred early in the morning, at 5:05 am (2005 GMT), according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea. The second launch was detected about ten minutes later. It stated that the second missile traveled 120 kilometers, whilst the first missile traveled approximately 600 kilometers (372.82 miles).
“South Korean and US authorities are currently under detailed analysis of the specifications,” the JCS stated in a statement.
It did state, however, that the missiles were fired from the town of Jangyon in southeast North Korea in a northeasterly direction.
“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches,” stated the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
According to an AP News article that quoted Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon, the second missile may have experienced an anomalous flight during its early stages of flight.
According to claims in South Korean media that quote unnamed military sources, the defective missile most likely went down in an inland region of the North. In the meantime, the first missile touched down in the seas near Chongjin, a city in eastern North Korea.
In a long statement released on Sunday, June 30, the North Korean Foreign Ministry criticized South Korea’s recent “Freedom Edge” maneuvers, which were conducted in coordination with the US and Japan.
The North denounced the three-day exercises, calling them an Asian take on NATO and reiterating its commitment to “firmly defend the sovereignty, security, and interests of the state and peace in the region through offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.”
