By: The Trek News Desk
North Korea has once again carried out missile launches toward the sea, with South Korea and Japan confirming the firing of suspected ballistic missiles. The latest development is being viewed as a weapons test conducted ahead of an important political congress expected to take place in Pyongyang.
The missile launches, carried out on Tuesday, marked the second such incident this month. Earlier, on January 4, North Korea had launched missiles on the same day South Korean President Lee Jae Myung began an official visit to China.
According to Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Defence, Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Japan’s Coast Guard, citing defence authorities, said the missiles landed in the sea. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence also confirmed that it detected at least one unidentified projectile launched from North Korea’s eastern coastline.
The timing of the launch has drawn attention as it came just a day after a senior US defence official, Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, arrived in Seoul for high-level discussions. The launch also follows North Korea’s earlier claim that it had successfully tested hypersonic missiles capable of striking targets nearly 1,000 kilometres away.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who personally oversaw the early January tests, said the launches highlighted the importance of strengthening the country’s nuclear deterrence, according to state-run media.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have also been fuelled by recent accusations from Pyongyang, which claimed South Korea flew surveillance drones across the border in January and September. Seoul has rejected these allegations and said it is investigating whether the drones may have been operated by civilian groups.
Experts suggest that the drone-related accusations are part of North Korea’s efforts to stir anti-South Korean sentiment ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress, expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Earlier this month, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed claims from South Korea that there was room for renewed dialogue following the drone dispute. According to North Korean media, she said expectations of repairing relations with Seoul were unrealistic.
Reports indicate that ahead of the party congress, the first in five years, Kim Jong Un has ordered the expansion and modernisation of missile production facilities to demonstrate progress in weapons development.
North Korea is barred under United Nations resolutions from launching or testing ballistic missiles of any range. Despite these restrictions, the country has significantly increased the frequency of missile tests in recent years, raising concerns among regional and global powers.
Source: News Agencies
