Disputes erupting between parties. Disagreements arising among different groups. Disputes flaring up between individuals or groups. - North Korea discharges multiple rockets in South Korea.
North Korea is said to have launched around ten rockets towards the ocean as reported by the South Korean military. These are speculated to be short-range ballistic missiles and considered a direct provocation, revealed the Seoul military on Thursday. The missile launch was believed to have originated from the Pyongyang area and traveled approximately 350 kilometers before hitting the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Additional data from the incident is to be analyzed in collaboration with the US and Japan, they stated.
Some ballistic missiles can be fitted with nuclear weapons, based on how they're designed. North Korea, in violation of international sanctions due to its nuclear weapons and missile development efforts, is now under scrutiny. The UN imposes restrictions on North Korea, banning them from launching or testing ballistic missiles of any range. However, Pyongyang persists in defying these bans.
This most recent rocket launch happened just two days after North Korea's aborted attempt to launch a military satellite into space. The "new type" carrier rocket with the reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1-1" reportedly exploded shortly following takeoff, per state media in the early hours of Tuesday.
Following North Korea's announcement of the satellite launch, South Korea conducted an air force exercise on Monday involving several fighter jets close to the inter-Korean border. Kim Jong Un mocked this exercise with a threat of a strong response the next day.
Criticism over satellite launch
The botched satellite launch prompted a response from various countries expressing their displeasure. Similar to the US and South Korea, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres scolded North Korea for utilizing technology directly linked to their ballistic missile program. The German government also rejected the launch for the same reasons. North Korea made a statement from its Foreign Ministry declaring the right of other nations to use space.
Tensions between North and South Korea have been heating up after a period of de-escalation. Since January 2022, North Korea has been intensifying its ballistic missile and other weapon testing. Further, the rhetoric spoken against South Korea and the US, which have increased their military collaboration, has become more aggressive.
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The UN, along with the US and Japan, will analyze additional data from the North Korean missile launch to better understand the situation. This launch, which involved around ten short-range ballistic missiles towards the ocean, marked a direct provocation by North Korea, as reported by the South Korean military. The US and South Korea have expressed displeasure over this launch, joining other nations like Germany in criticizing North Korea's use of technology linked to its ballistic missile program. Despite international sanctions and restrictions, North Korea persists in defying these bans, with past disputes and conflicts between the two Koreas continuing to escalate. Japan, being a close neighbor to the Korean Peninsula, has also been closely monitoring these developments.
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