On Thursday, as the US redeployed one of its aircraft carriers close to the Korean Peninsula in retaliation for the North's recent firing of a potent missile over Japan, the North launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters.
The launches on Thursday morning were spaced 22 minutes apart, according to a statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea. According to the report, South Korea has increased its surveillance posture and keeps itself ready in close conjunction with the US.
North Korea Launches More Missiles
The launches Thursday were North Korea's sixth round of weapons firings in less than two weeks, which has prompted condemnation from the United States and other nations. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also confirmed the North Korean missile launches, calling the firings intolerable.
For the first time in five years, North Korea launched an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting the Japanese government to issue evacuation advisories and halt rail service.
This was North Korea's most recent provocative weapon demonstration. According to experts, the weapon was probably a Hwasong-12 missile that could travel as far as Guam in the US Pacific region, as per NBC News.
After the US held military exercises in the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula with South Korea and Japan, the North conducted a flurry of recent weapons tests. The purpose of the drills on Tuesday was to demonstrate a shared capability to thwart a North Korean strike on the South.
The allies launched two Army Tactical Missile System missiles each during training bombing missions by F-15 attack jets utilizing precision ammunition. Nevertheless, during the exercise, one of South Korea's ballistic missiles malfunctioned and fell on shore, causing alarm among the inhabitants of the coastal city of Gangneung.
These actions are thought to be North Korea's practice for an invasion. Hours before the exercises, the nation made its most provocative display since 2017 by launching its missile. The launched nuclear-capable ballistic missile has a range that allows it to reach Guam, which is home to one of the biggest US military installations in Asia.
In 2017, North Korea again conducted missile tests that were able to reach the US mainland. Following Tuesday's launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway, and Ireland demanded that the UN Security Council convene in an emergency session, according to CBS News.
US Navy Sends Aircraft Carrier in Japan
In the meantime, after the rogue nation flew an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday, the US Navy sent an aircraft carrier to the waters between North Korea and Japan.
Navy images show that on Tuesday, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan passed through the Tsugaru-Kaikyo Strait, which separates Honshu and Hokkaido, the two largest islands in Japan.
The action follows Pyongyang's fifth missile test in the previous two weeks. The Reagan is headquartered in Japan and frequently patrols the Western Pacific, but according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the carrier's shift on Wednesday was intended to retaliate against North Korea, as reported by The Korea Herald.
The Navy would comment on whether Reagan's relocation to the area was in response to Pyongyang's most recent launch, adding that it does not comment on future activities, although the service did confirm the ship remained in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.
In reaction to North Korea's most recent missile test, the US and South Korea have been practicing live fire. A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and burst as it struck the ground during one of these drills, terrifying the locals in the area, New York Post reported.
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