US and South Korea maintaining ‘full readiness posture’ after North Korean missile launch
JCS said the militaries of the United States and South Korea have been cooperating closely following the launch and maintaining a “full readiness posture”
As reports came that North Korea fired a ballistic missile early on Sunday morning into the water off the Korean peninsula’s east coast, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea noted that the militaries of the United States and South Korea have been cooperating closely following the launch and maintaining a “full readiness posture”.
Further, the JCS characterised the launch as a “significant provocative action that harms peace and safety of the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community.” According to CNN, JCS has even requested North Korea to “immediately stop,” stating that the launch was a “clear violation” of the United Nations Security Council resolution.
Furthermore, this launch came just after a US aircraft carrier landed in South Korea to take part in joint exercises and before Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to arrive. According to the UN, North Korea is not allowed to test nuclear or ballistic missiles.
In the meantime, South Korea’s military reported that a short-range ballistic missile was fired just before 07:00 (local time) near Taechon, over 100 kilometres north of Pyongyang. It claimed to have travelled 600 kilometres at a height of 60 km.
In a statement, the South Korean military said, “Our military maintains a full readiness posture and is closely cooperating with the US while strengthening surveillance and vigilance.”
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Japan confirmed the missile launch
In addition to this, the coast guard of Japan confirmed the missile launch and warned ships to “be vigilant.” Yasukazu Hamada, the Defence Minister of Japan, asserted that the missile, which fell in waters off North Korea’s eastern coast and outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, reached a maximum height of around 50 kilometres.
Japan’s Minister of Defence has even speculated that the ballistic missile could have travelled an irregular trajectory. According to the Japanese Minister, North Korea has fired 19 missiles this year, “an unprecedentedly high frequency, including the announcement of the launch of cruise missiles, and has also launched missiles in new responses,” CNN reported.
Moreover, the South Korean Presidential Office had reportedly sent a warning the day before, stating to have seen actions that would have suggested North Korea was getting ready to fire an SLBM from the city of Sinpo on its east coast, according to a VOA report.
In the upcoming days, US Vice President Harris will go to South Korea as part of a regional journey that would also include attending Shinzo Abe’s funeral in Japan.
In the past year, hostilities on the Korean peninsula have increased as a result of Pyongyang’s many ballistic missile launches. Yoon Suk-yeol, the President of South Korea, who assumed office in May, has pledged to take an aggressive approach against North Korea and to forge tighter relations with the US.
