The move comes by North Korea in a show of strike-back as the US veers a nuclear submarine into South Korea
North Korea, on early Wednesday morning, launched two short-range ballistic missiles from a position near the Pyongyang International Airport off the east coast into the Sea of Japan in angry retaliation to the US bringing a nuclear submarine to a port in South Korea after nearly four decades. North Korea has continued its provocative spate of missile launching in response to US-South Korea military deals, as seen in instances of previous months.
The move heightened tensions just as the USS-Kentucky, an Ohio-class ballistic missile, lodged into South Korea’s Busan port. The missiles were fired at 3:30 am and 3:46 am, and flew about 550 kms. They landed outside South Korea’s exclusive economic zone with no apparent damage.
Another incident that sparked the tensions was the detainment of an US soldier by North Korea, who intentionally crossed the heavily fortified border from the south side in the Joint Security Area and stepped into North Korea. The man, identified as Private Second Class Travis King, is currently under detention. Efforts are being taken by the United Nations Command to secure his release.
The docking of the US nuclear submarine in South Korea was timed to be in tandem with the first meeting of a new US-South Korea body that aims to prevent North Korea from stationing its nuclear weapons. In the face of rising threat from North Korea, Seoul and Washington are focusing on enhancing defence cooperation.Â
The development was also reported by Japan’s Coast Guard. South Korea was still examining the category of missile fired, according to the news agency Yonhap.
North Korea has been steadily amping up its missile launches, and this firing comes as the latest in a series of weapons tests. Last week, Pyongyang fired the country’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile, the solid-fuel Hwasong-18, which was personally overseen by President Kim Jong Un.
Image Source: Reuters
Degeneration of relations between North Korea and South Korea
The steady exacerbation of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang has led to one of the lowest historical diplomatic points between both the countries. South Korea’s close association with the US and cooperation for joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and other weapons and North Korea’s piling up of atomic arsenals has also been the adding factor in worsening ties.
The first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting between South Korea and the US took place in Seoul on Tuesday, and announced the arrival of the American submarine on the port of Busan, for the first time since 1981.
In the joint statement issued, it was declared that any attack on the US or its allies would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken for any provocation.
