North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Sunday, according to South Korea's military. The launches were conducted from the eastern coastal Wonsan area, with the first missile flying about 450km and the second one flying more than 600km, both towards the North's eastern waters. The missiles eventually ended up in the sea. This latest development comes days after North Korea threatened to bolster its nuclear deterrent capabilities and respond to what it called US hostilities.
The launches are the latest in a series of weapons demonstrations by North Korea, despite US President Donald Trump scaling back a joint military exercise with South Korea last month. Trump had cited a "good relationship with Kim" as the reason for reducing the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. However, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has been focusing on expanding his nuclear arsenal after his earlier high-stakes diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019.
South Korea's presidential office urged North Korea to immediately halt ballistic missile launches that are banned by UN Security Council resolutions. The South's military said it maintains readiness to repel any provocations by the North under a solid alliance with the US. Japan's defence ministry also detected a suspected North Korean missile earlier on Sunday, but the weapon did not land in its territorial waters.
Kim Jong-un's sister and senior official, Kim Yo-jong, had earlier shrugged off Trump's overture, saying that shortening the drill wouldn't change its "provocative, aggressive nature". North Korea's military later launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea, apparently following through with a previous threat to respond to the US-South Korean drill.
North Korea escalates pressure on the US, with Kim Yo-jong slamming a recent US-led multilateral maritime exercise in the region as a "frantic military move" by the Americans meant to prolong their hegemony in the Asia-Pacific area. The "Pacific Vanguard" exercise brought together the US, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. She claimed that "regular US-led war rehearsals" are the main source of worsening tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the region.
Chances of a swift resumption of US-North Korea talks are unclear, with Kim Jong-un focusing on expanding his nuclear arsenal and deepening ties with Russia and China. Experts say Kim probably thinks he now has greater leverage in possible fresh diplomacy with Trump. Earlier this year, Kim said he could return to talks if the US drops its "hostile policy" against his country and respects what he calls the North's status as a nuclear state.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a liberal who advocates improved ties with the North, said on Friday that a resumption of US-North Korea talks would be "an important starting point" towards boosting chances for peace on the Korean Peninsula. He also mentioned that President Trump wants dialogue, and he has been encouraging Trump to seek dialogue with Kim.
Key points
- North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Sunday.
- The launches defy UN Security Council resolutions and strain tensions with the US.
- Chances of a swift resumption of US-North Korea talks are unclear amid North Korea's expanding nuclear arsenal.
