ROK-US Launch Four Missiles into the East Sea: A Hyeonmu Missile Malfunctioned and Fell

The ROK-US military fired surface-to-surface missiles into the East Sea on October 5. Courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

A Hyeonmu-2 malfunctioned and fell when it was fired in response to North Korea’s provocation. Video image captured from an online community

On October 5, the militaries of South Korea and the United States fired surface-to-surface missiles into the East Sea in response to North Korea’s launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the South Korean military and the U.S. Forces Korea launched a total of four ATACMS, two each, into the East Sea and that they made a precision strike on a virtual target.

The military authorities of the two countries had also launched a Hyeonmu-2 ballistic missile in a joint response fire around 1 a.m. this day, but the missile fell inside the base after making an abnormal flight immediately after it was fired. A military representative said, “So far, no casualties have been reported, and we are working to identify the exact cause.”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile toward the east from Mupyong-ri, Chagang Province at 7:23 a.m. Tuesday. The missile fell into the Pacific Ocean after flying over Japanese skies.