North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea on Wednesday, marking the second such event in less than a week. This activity appears to be a reaction to the upcoming military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which North Korea views as rehearsal for invasion.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the missile launch from North Korea’s eastern coastal area near Wonsan. The missile headed toward the eastern waters around 6 a.m., prompting South Korea to enhance its surveillance. Seoul is closely cooperating with Washington and Tokyo regarding the launch.
Japan’s Defense Ministry also observed the missile launch. They confirmed it did not land within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, indicating it likely fell farther from the Japanese coast.
This missile activity occurs shortly before the scheduled annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield, set to begin on Monday and last for 11 days. Approximately 18,000 South Korean troops are expected to participate in the drills, which aim to improve readiness against North Korean threats.
Historically, North Korea has reacted to such military drills and other large-scale exercises with weapons tests and strong rhetoric. North Korea asserts that these exercises simulate attacks on the country, justifying its nuclear arsenal buildup. However, the U.S. and South Korea maintain that their drills are purely defensive.
Earlier, on August 6, a short-range ballistic missile launch by North Korea was detected by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. This was North Korea’s first ballistic test since late June. While North Korea did not confirm the launch, it typically discloses details of its weapons tests with some delay.
North Korea’s recent series of weapons tests follow the breakdown of diplomatic efforts between Kim Jong Un and former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. The talks collapsed due to disagreements over international economic sanctions on North Korea.
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