North Korea fires ballistic missiles, warns of turning Pacific into ‘firing range’

SEOUL – North Korea launched two more ballistic missiles off its east coast on Monday, with the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un saying Pyongyang’s use of the Pacific as its “firing range” would depend on the behaviour of US forces.

The launches come just two days after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea off Japan’s west coast, prompting the

United States to hold joint air exercises

with South Korea and separately with Japan on Sunday.

North Korea’s state media confirmed it fired two projectiles from a multiple rocket launcher, aiming at targets 395km and 337km away, respectively. 

“The 600mm multiple rocket launcher mobilised in the firing... is a means of tactical nuclear weapon” capable of “paralysing” an enemy airfield, state news agency KCNA said. 

Analysts said the warning about the Pacific being a North Korean firing range from leader Mr Kim’s sister, Ms Kim Yo Jong, could signal plans to fire more missiles further, possibly in the direction of the US territory of Guam.

Japan’s Defence Ministry said the two missiles, fired at around 2200 GMT on Sunday (6am Monday, Singapore time), reached a maximum altitude of about 100km and 50km, respectively, and fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he had requested an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting over the launches, and Jiji news agency said the gathering was set for 2000 GMT on Monday. 

But prospects of a new round of UN sanctions appear slim, given the previous vetoes by Russia and China amid the Ukraine crisis and a Sino-US feud over Chinese balloons in American skies.

South Korea’s military condemned the launches as a “grave provocation” that should stop immediately. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office said it held a National Security Council meeting to review the tests and discuss countermeasures.

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Monday announced sanctions on four individuals and five entities linked to Pyongyang’s weapons programmes over the latest ICBM and missile tests, in what it called its fastest-ever such response to the North’s provocations. 

The ministry said its nuclear envoy had phone calls with his US and Japanese counterparts, during which they agreed that North Korea’s provocations cannot be justified in any way and it will face the “consequences of self-indulgence”. 

The US Indo-Pacific Command highlighted the “destabilising impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programmes, while UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric urged Pyongyang to halt such provocations banned under Security Council resolutions, and resume denuclearisation dialogue.

Tensions rising

Ms Kim warned against the increased presence of the US’ strategic assets after the joint air drills with its Asian allies over the weekend.

“The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the US forces’ action,” she said in a statement carried by KCNA. 

The United States and South Korea are set to hold simulated nuclear tabletop exercises aimed at improving operations of American nuclear assets this week, as well as annual springtime Freedom Shield field training in March. 

Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry said last week it would respond to the planned exercises with “unprecedentedly persistent, strong counteractions”. 

“Tension on the peninsula is likely to reach its peak in coming months as North Korea is accelerating its military actions with higher frequency, and her statement indicates that it would continue impromptu missile tests using the Pacific as its shooting range,” said Professor Yang Moo-jin from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, referring to Ms Kim’s statement. 

Mr Hong Min, a senior fellow at the South’s Korea Institute for National Unification, said Ms Kim’s mention of the Pacific suggested the North would fire more longer-range missiles more often.

Monday’s missile launch is the North’s third known weapons test in 2023, after it fired an unprecedented number of missiles in 2022, including ICBMs capable of striking anywhere in the US. 

Ms Kim also criticised some South Korean experts’ assessment that the North’s “sudden” ICBM test required nine hours of preparations, saying the launch time was finalised after US and South Korean scout planes involved in air patrols went away. 

“We have possessed satisfactory technology and capability and now will focus on increasing the quantity of their force,” she said. “We affirm once again that there is no change in our will to make the worst maniacs escalating the tensions pay the price for their action.” REUTERS