North Korea yesterday fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, its neighbors said, as it continued its weapons demonstrations hours before the US presidential election.
Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani said at least seven North Korean missiles flew as far as 400km with a maximum altitude of 100km. He said they landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
“North Korea’s actions, including a series of repeated missile launches, threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international community,” Nakatani said.
Photo: AP / Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service
South Korea’s military also detected several missile launches by North Korea and subsequently boosted its surveillance posture.
The North Korean missiles could be used to target key facilities in South Korea, including US military bases there.
The launches came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised a flight test of the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the US mainland.
In response to that launch, the US flew a long-range B-1B bomber in a trilateral drill with South Korea and Japan on Sunday in a show of force. That drew condemnation from Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jon, who yesterday accused North Korea’s rivals of raising tensions with “aggressive and adventuristic military threats.”
South Korean officials have said that North Korea was likely to dial up its military displays around the US presidential election to command the attention of Washington.
South Korea’s military intelligence agency last week said that Pyongyang has also likely completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test.
Outside officials and analysts say North Korea eventually hopes to use an expanded nuclear arsenal as leverage to win concessions such as sanctions relief after a new US president is elected.
AIDING RUSSIA
In related news, US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller on Monday told reporters that as many as 10,000 North Korean soldiers were in Russia’s Kursk region near Ukraine’s border and were preparing to join Moscow’s fight against Ukraine in the coming days.
After a meeting in Seoul on Monday, senior South Korean and EU officials expressed concerns about Russia’s possible transfer of technology to North Korea to enhance its nuclear program in exchange for its troops.
Such transfers would “jeopardize the international non-proliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe,” they said.
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