North Korea on Wednesday fired several cruise missiles into the sea in its fifth such test since January, South Korea’s military said, extending a string of weapons demonstrations that have heightened tensions in the region.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean and US military were analyzing the launch detected in waters northeast of the east coast city of Wonsan.
The South Korean military did not immediately provide the exact number of missiles fired or how far they flew.
It was unclear whether the missile was fired from land or from sea assets.
“Our military has increased surveillance and vigilance and is working closely with our US partners and closely monitoring signs of further activity from North Korea,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Experts say North Korea is increasing pressure on its rival in an election year in South Korea and the United States with a long-term focus on forcing Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and extracting security and economic concessions from a position of strength.
South Korean and US militaries are analyzing the launch detected on February 14, 2024, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. AP People are seen watching a news broadcast of a North Korean missile launch at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on February 14, 2024. AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also issued bellicose statements against South Korea, including declaring that he will abandon Korea’s long-term objective of peace with its war-torn rival and threatening to destroy the South with nuclear weapons if provoked.
There are concerns in the South that Kim may escalate direct military provocations, perhaps around the disputed western sea border between the Koreas that has been the site of deadly naval battles in past years.
The cruise missiles, which are designed to be highly maneuverable in flight like small airplanes, are among a growing number of weapons North Korea is developing to overcome its missile defenses, adding to the country’s large number of ballistic missiles designed to be fired from land and sea.
A TV screen shows an image of a North Korean missile launch during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on February 14, 2024. AP
The latest launch is North Korea’s sixth missile launch event this year, including the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate-range missile test on January 14, which shows its efforts to advance its weaponry aimed at distant US targets in the Pacific, including the military. Guam hub.
The North earlier this year tested a new cruise missile designed to be fired from submarines as well as a long-range cruise missile with the potential to reach US military bases in Japan.
The United States, South Korea and Japan have strengthened their joint military exercises and sharpened their nuclear deterrence strategies.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
