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North Korea’s launch of at least 3 missiles triggers response

Hours after US President Joe Biden had left Asia, North Korea fired at least three ballistic missiles on Wednesday morning – an act that brought about a US-South Korean response of combined live-fire drills and a barrage of condemnations.

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The drills, which included surface-to-surface missile tests involving the US’ Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and South Korea’s Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), were carried out after North Korea fired at least three missiles on Wednesday morning.

As reported by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the first appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the second could not be identified and appeared to have failed mid-flight, while the third was a short-range ballistic missile.

The developments unfold in the wake of President Joe Biden’s Asia tour and his visit to Seoul where, over the weekend, together with South Korea’s recently-elected President Yoon Suk-yeol he had agreed to hold bigger military drills and deploy more US strategic assets if necessary to deter North Korea’s intensifying weapons tests.

South Korea’s Yoon took on a proactive stance convening his first meeting of the national security council in response to North Korea’s actions. The meeting strongly condemned the launch as a “grave provocation”.

President Yoon ordered aides to strengthen the US extended deterrence and combined defence posture as agreed with Biden, his office said.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Presidential Spokesperson Kang In-sun stressed that should North Korea continue its provocations, it would “inevitably result in stronger and faster deterrence of the South Korea-US alliance” and “lead to North Korea’s international isolation.”

“The government is prepared to respond strongly and effectively to any North Korean provocations and will take practical steps to protect the security and the safety of people in South Korea based on the solid South Korea-US alliance,” she said.

Japan says North Korea may conduct nuclear test

Commenting on the North Korean ballistic tests, Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi called the move a provocative act that cannot be tolerated.

“We cannot ignore North Korea’s recent noticeable technological developments for nuclear and missile-related tests,” he said, adding that Pyongyang’s “repeated ballistic missile launches and their actions are a threat to our country, the region, and the international community’s peace and security and we absolutely cannot tolerate that.”

Mr Kishi told reporters that the first ballistic missile fired by North Korea reached an altitude of 550 km and flew around 300 km. The second missile reached an altitude of 50 km and flew around 750 km, he added.

“The fact that the missile launch occurred right after the Japan-US, US-South Korea leader meetings, and the quad summit meeting is obviously a provocative act and we absolutely cannot tolerate it,” Mr Kishi said.

Japan’s top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said that North Korea may take more provocative actions including nuclear weapon tests after the country fired ballistic missiles off its east coast earlier in the day.

“We will refrain from making a prejudgement on the actual timing of the nuclear test, but we believe that further provocations, including a nuclear test, are possible in the future,” he said, adding that Japan would continue “to work closely with the US” and do its “utmost to analyse, collect necessary information, remain vigilant and monitor, as well as continue to work closely with the US and South Korea towards a complete denuclearisation of North Korea.”

A “serious warning” to the US and Taiwan

In the wake of the North Korean missile launches, China’s military said it recently conducted a military exercise around Taiwan as a “serious warning” to interactions between the US and Taiwan.

To recall, while in Taiwan on Tuesday, President Biden warned China is “flirting with danger” over Taiwan, and vowed to intervene militarily to protect the island if it is attacked.

Beijing treats Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and seeks to take control over the island, including via military intervention. The case of Taiwan has long been a bone of contention in US-Chinese relations. The White House, delivering armaments to the island, has been staunchly critical of an armed change to the status quo.

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