South Korea launched three missiles north of the maritime border with North Korea in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang’s launch of ten missiles, one of which landed near the South Korean island of Ulleung.
«The South Korean Army has conducted precision air-to-ground missile firing by our Air Force in response to North Korea’s launch of short-range ballistic missiles,» South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detailed in statements carried by Yonhap.
According to the South Korean Armed Forces, the three missiles have been launched at a distance similar to that of the missiles fired by its northern neighbor. They have also warned that this launch is a demonstration of being «determined to respond to any provocation» from Pyongyang.
«As North Korea continues its provocations despite repeated warnings from our Army, I would like to warn you once again that North Korea is solely responsible for all subsequent events,» the Joint Chiefs of Staff added.
«The Army maintains a full readiness posture to ensure overwhelming victory at all times while tracking and monitoring related trends in preparation for additional North Korean provocations,» it added.
Hours earlier, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea’s launch of the ten missiles and called the missile that landed near the South Korean coast a «de facto violation of territory.»
For this reason, the South Korean president has ordered the army to take «swift action» to make the North pay for «provocations», and has also ordered the military to be «prepared for further provocations», as he said in an emergency meeting of the National Security Council after the launch and reported by Yonhap.
North Korea launched ten missiles on Wednesday, one of which fell near the island of Ulleung, which prompted the air alert and the evacuation of thousands of residents to basements.
It is the first time since the end of the Korean War (1950-1953) that North Korea has launched a missile in the territorial waters of its southern neighbor, a fact that has been described by Seoul as «intolerable».
This new launch by Pyongyang further escalates tensions in the region, after North Korea has in recent weeks launched several ballistic missiles in tests banned by UN Security Council resolutions, in response to US-North Korean military maneuvers which it considers an invasion rehearsal.
The United States, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have shared their evidence that North Korea is «likely» to conduct a nuclear missile test, its first since 2017.
