The DPRK Fires Two Short-range Ballistic Missiles into the East Sea

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the South Korean military and the U.S. Forces Korea each fired surface-to-surface missiles into the East Sea in response to North Korea’s provocation, the firing of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on October 5. The picture shows the launch of a surface-to-surface missile. Courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched ballistic missiles into the East Sea on October 6.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea from Samsok, Pyongyang from 6:01 to 6:23 a.m. Thursday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced, “The first short-range ballistic missile traveled about 800 kilometers at an altitude of 80 kilometers and speeds of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), and the second missile traveled 800 kilometers at an altitude of 60 kilometers and speeds of Mach 6,” and explained, “The R.O.K. and U.S. intelligence agencies are conducting a thorough analysis of detailed specifications.”

The military authority said, “The continuing launch of ballistic missiles by North Korea is a serious provocation threatening peace and stability in the international community as well as the Korean Peninsula, and it is a clear violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions,” and strongly condemned North Korea and urged Pyongyang to immediately cease such provocation.

North Korea appears to have fired the missiles this day in opposition to the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76, 103,000 ton), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, re-entering the waters of the Korean Peninsula. In a press release this day, the DPRK foreign ministry said, “We are keeping our eyes on the United States, which has brought an aircraft carrier strike group into the waters of the Korean Peninsula again, seriously threatening the stability of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas.”

Earlier on September 25, North Korea fired one short-range ballistic missile from Taechon, North Pyongan Province; on September 28, two missiles from Sunan in Pyongyang; on September 29, two missiles from Sunchon, South Pyongan Province; and on October 1, two missiles from Sunan, Pyongyang.

The DPRK has launched ballistic missiles on 22 occasions and cruise missiles twice this year. The latest missile launch was the tenth since the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

South Korea and the U.S. are responding to the North’s firing of ballistic missiles with joint military drills and discussions in the UN Security Council, to which the North is protesting with additional provocations, continuing to heighten tensions around the Korean Peninsula.