North Korea yesterday test-fired its first ballistic missiles since US President Joe Biden took office, as it expands its military capabilities and increases pressure on Washington as nuclear negotiations remain stalled.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the launches threatened “peace and safety in Japan and the region,” and that Tokyo would closely coordinate with Washington and Seoul on North Korea’s testing activities.
South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong, after meeting with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov in Seoul, expressed “deep concern” over the launches and urged North Korea to uphold its commitments for peace.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Lavrov called for a swift resumption of dialogue to resolve the standoff with North Korea.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the two short-range missiles were fired at 7:06am and 7:25am from an area on North Korea’s eastern coast and flew 450km on an apogee of 60km before landing in the sea.
It said that South Korea’s military has stepped up monitoring in case of “further provocations” from North Korea.
A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, matched the information from South Korea’s military, saying that initial assessments suggested that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles.
“This activity highlights the threat that North Korea’s illicit weapons program poses to its neighbors and the international community,” US Indo-Pacific Command spokesman Captain Mike Kafka said.
The launches came a day after US and South Korean officials said that North Korea fired short-range weapons presumed to be cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea on Sunday.
North Korea has a history of testing new US administrations with missile launches and other provocations aimed at forcing the US back to the negotiating table.
Yesterday’s launches were a measured provocation compared with the nuclear and intercontinental missile tests in 2017, which inspired war fears before North Korea shifted toward diplomacy with the administration of former US president Donald Trump in 2018.
Analysts have said that North Korea would gradually dial up its weapons displays to increase its bargaining power as it angles to get back into stalled talks aimed at leveraging nuclear weapons for badly needed economic benefits.
It is unclear how the Biden administration would respond before it completes its policy review on North Korea in the coming weeks.
Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from South Korea’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said that flight data released by South Korea’s military suggested that North Korea possibly tested a new solid-fuel system modeled after Russia’s 9K720 Iskander mobile ballistic missile.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS