North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles before dawn on November 5, just hours before the US presidential election. South Korea and Japan confirmed that the projectiles were launched toward the East Sea.
The South Korean JCS reported that they detected the missiles firing from the Sariwon area in North Hwanghae Province, just south of Pyongyang. The missiles flew about 400 km before landing in the East Sea. They fired at about 7:30 a.m. local time.
South Korea then increased military alertness following the launches. The JSC said they are closely monitoring the situation and sharing missile data with US and Japanese authorities. “We are maintaining full readiness while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile data,” they said in a message.
Japan’s Defence Ministry also reported the launch and said the missile appeared to have already fallen into the sea. Further details about its trajectory and impact are not yet clear.
This missile test comes just hours before Americans go to the polls in the presidential election, pitting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris against incumbent Republican Donald Trump. North Korea’s actions seem timed to coincide with the high-stakes US election.
On October 31, North Korea launched its new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile, reportedly capable of reaching the US mainland. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un expressed “great satisfaction” with the test, and hailed it as “an excellent result of his country’s hegemonic position” in developing nuclear delivery systems. He also pledged that North Korea would continue to reinforce its nuclear forces. Suggesting the stance of his country was “absolutely irreversible.”
In response to the growing threat, South Korea, the US, and Japan held trilateral joint military exercises over waters east of South Korea’s Jeju Island, involving a US B-1B bomber. The three countries also conducted similar drills earlier this year to strengthen their defense cooperation.
ANI
