North Korea fires ballistic missiles for the fourth time in a week

On Saturday, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of ​​Japan. This is already the fourth operation of this kind in a week. The shooting follows anti-submarine drills conducted by South Korea, Japan and the United States on Friday and the US Vice President’s visit to the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas on Thursday.

The South Korean military said North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Saturday, the fourth such launch in a week, after Seoul, Tokyo and Washington conducted a trilateral anti-submarine drill on Friday.

South Korea’s armed forces said it “detected two short-range missiles between 6:45 a.m. and 7:03 a.m. that were launched from the Sunan region of Pyongyang” toward the Sea of ​​Japan. The two mechanisms “flyed (distance) approximately 350 km, at an altitude of 30 km (f) at Mach 6, according to a press release from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, qualifying these shots.” Serious provocation.

“unprecedented pace”

Japan also reported the apparent launch of two ballistic missiles, saying they appeared to have ended their course outside Japan’s exclusive economic zones. According to Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino, the missiles “apparently followed irregular paths”. “North Korea has intensified its missile attacks at an unprecedented rate,” he said.

Experts say the irregular trajectories indicate the missiles are capable of maneuvering in flight, making them more difficult to track and intercept. The US Regional Command said in a statement that these recent missile launches “highlight the potential to destabilize the illegitimate weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs” of North Korea.

Negotiations reached a dead end

Seoul, Tokyo and Washington on Friday held a trilateral anti-submarine exercise for the first time in five years, days after the US and South Korean navies conducted large-scale exercises off the peninsula. US Vice President Kamala Harris was in Seoul on Thursday and visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, on a trip to underscore Washington’s “unwavering” commitment to defending South Korea against North Korea.

Pyongyang has stepped up banned weapons programs with long-stalled talks, conducting a record number of weapons tests this year and reviewing legislation to make its status as a nuclear power “irreversible”.