North Korea finds itself in news again for its launch of missiles. In the wee hours of Monday, two ballistic missiles launched in the waters of the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea was quick to acknowledge and made no efforts to make it seem a miscalculation as Kim Yo Jong stated the regularity of the Pacific Ocean being used as their shooting range largely depends on the U.S. military’s actions.
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This launch comes just three days after an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had been set into motion on Saturday.
Nuclear tabletop drills are going to be held between the U.S. and South Korea in the Pentagon in a few days after which military drills between both the countries are being planned in South Korea in the coming month.
But after the launch of ICBM on Saturday, U.S. conducted separated drills with Japan and South Korea which seemed to have struck a nerve with North Korea. They warned of serious repercussions if the military drills that are to take place in Korea are not called off.
How did North Korea and South Korea come into existence?
The ending days of the World War II saw plenty of unexpected developments. One such development was war being declared by the Soviet Union on Japan which took over the entire land of Korea since 1910. As the Soviet Union kept advancing into Korea, the US government became apprehensive about the whole of Korea being occupied by the Soviet Union and hence asked them to at the 38th parallel north. Consequently, the south of the peninsula which consisted Seoul was occupied by U.S.
Eventually, after the Surrender of Japan on 15th August 1945, military government and United States Army Military Government was established in the north and south respectively.
In the days that followed, Kim II-sung, who served in the Soviet Army became the head of the northern part of Korea whereas Syngman Rhee became the president through general elections aided by the U.S. in the south.
Specifics of the missiles –
The first missile flew approximately 400 kilometers (248 miles) at a maximum altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles), and the second was launched about 10 minutes later at a maximum altitude of about 50 kilometers (31 miles), moving approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles).
As stated by a state news agency KCNA, the “600mm multiple rocket launcher mobilized in the shooting… is a means of tactical nuclear weapon” capable of “paralyzing” an adversary airfield.
Responses to the ICBM trials –
Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, requested an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting as According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, the missiles fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The Foreign Ministry of South Korea, meantime, placed penalties on four North Korean individuals and five organizations that it claimed were involved in Pyongyang’s development of nuclear and missile weapons and helped the nation evade sanctions. Starting from October, South Korea has inflicted sanctions on 31 North Korean people and 35 organizations.
