North Korea fires missiles amid Russia arms suspicions

North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on Thursday into the East Sea. This marked its first ballistic missile launch in two months, since March 10, and the second since the start of the Trump administration. Such missile launches are a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were launched between 8:10 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. from the Wonsan area in Gangwon Province. A variety of SRBMs were fired, with flight ranges between 250 and 340 kilometers, and the longest reaching approximately 800 kilometers. Based on the launch sites, the missiles could target all of South Korea and parts of Japan. The military believes the launch included North Korean versions of the Iskander missile (KN-23) and a large-caliber multiple rocket launcher (KN-25), both capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads. This marked North Korea’s fourth ballistic missile launch of the year, following a medium-range hypersonic missile on January 6, short-range SRBMs on January 14, and a close-range ballistic missile (CRBM) on March 10.

The use of short-range rather than intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which are capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, is seen as a strategic move, possibly leaving room for future negotiations with the Trump administration.

Some analysts believe the latest missile test may be linked to North Korea’s intention to export SRBMs to Russia. “Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a munitions factory (allegedly for exports to Russia), and this test may have been conducted to evaluate the performance of SRBMs that North Korea plans to export to Russia in exchange for sending troops," a military official said.

On the same day, South Korea’s National Security Office held a meeting to assess the situation and discuss response measures. On Wednesday (local time), the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command strongly condemned the launch, reaffirming that America’s commitment to defending South Korea and Japan remains ironclad.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com