North Korean missile launch condemned as ‘serious provocation’ | World News
Another ballistic missile launch by North Korea was condemned as a “serious provocation that damages peace”.
South Korea’s military said a pair of short-range ballistic missiles were detected on Saturday night flying towards the country’s eastern seaboard – the latest in the country’s weapons tests in recent years. recent days.
The launch, North Korea’s sixth weapons test in two weeks, came hours after the United States and South Korea wrapped up new naval exercises off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. Related drills USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
North Korea’s military defended its recent missile tests as a “legitimate response” to what it labeled fearsome military drills. It said the US’ redeployment of the aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula was causing “a significant negative flow” to regional security.
Reagan and its battle group returned to the area after North Korea earlier this week fired a powerful missile at Japan in protest of the carrier strike group’s earlier training with South Korea.
North Korea views the US-South Korean military drills as an invasion maneuver and is particularly sensitive if such drills involve strategic US assets such as aircraft carriers.
It believes it is forced to pursue a nuclear weapons program in response to US nuclear threats, although US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said they have no intention of attacking North Korea. Tien.
In the past two weeks, North Korea has fired 10 ballistic missiles into the sea in five launch events.
Recent weapons tests include a capable nuclear weapon Missile flies over Japan for the first time in five years and has demonstrated range to strike the US Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.
Earlier this year, North Korea tested other nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that land the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan within long ranges.
North Korea’s testing shows that leader Kim Jong Un has no intention of resuming diplomacy with the US and wants to focus on expanding his arsenal.