DPRK launches missile salvo hours ahead of US presidential election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Nov 2024 08:51

The DPRK fires a short-range ballistic missile barrage only a few days after the US, South Korea, and Japan conducted aerial drills in the region.

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A TV screen shows a report of DPRK's multiple short-range ballistic missiles with file footage during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (AP)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles early Tuesday, according to the South Korean military, marking the second missile activity it carried out during the span of a week, and just hours before the US presidential elections.

On October 31, just four days ago, the DPRK also test-fired one of its newest and most powerful missiles for the first time, hours after Washington and Seoul called on Pyongyang to withdraw its troops from Russia, claiming that the soldiers could be involved in possible action against Ukraine.

While Seoul reported on the salvo launch, it also warned of the DPRK's alleged troop deployments in Russia, saying they have been positioned in frontline regions such as Kursk.

According to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military detected the launch of "several short-range ballistic missiles" at around 7:30 am Tuesday into waters east of the Korean peninsula.

The missiles reportedly traveled about 400 kilometers (248 miles), and South Korea's military tracked the event in real-time, sharing information with Tokyo and Washington. In response to potential further launches, South Korea's military heightened surveillance and alertness.

Tokyo also confirmed the missile test, with government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi condemning the repeated launches as a threat to regional peace and security.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan, and the US conducted a joint air exercise, involving a US B-1B bomber, South Korean F-15K and KF-16 jets, and Japanese F-2s.

Pyongyang has long considered the drills provocative and an attempt to gain a foothold in a possible invasion of the DPRK.

DPRK's activities response to trilateral axis' 'aggressive nature'

Han Kwon-hee of the Korea Association of Defence Industry Studies considered the salvo launch a direct response to the trilateral aerial exercises conducted throughout the weekend.

"Given it was a salvo of short-range missiles, the North is indicating that it not only has long-range missiles capable of reaching the US, but also short-range ones to target all bases in South Korea and Japan," he said.

DPRK official Kim Yo-jong condemned the joint exercises, describing them as a demonstration of the "most hostile and dangerous aggressive nature" of the US, South Korea, and Japan toward the nation.

In a statement released Tuesday by the Korean Central News Agency, a DPRK official emphasized that their recent military drill confirmed the necessity and urgency of continuing to develop the country's nuclear capabilities.

South Korea has accused the DPRK of supplying weapons to aid Russia in its war with Ukraine and claims that Pyongyang has sent a significant number of soldiers to Russia since Kim Jong Un's mutual defense agreement with Vladimir Putin in June.

According to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu, over 10,000 DPRK soldiers are allegedly in Russia. In response, South Korea is reconsidering its stance on sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russia and the DPRK have slammed these allegations, saying any cooperation they conduct falls within the charters of international law.

On Monday, Robert Wood, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, criticized the DPRK's advancing ballistic missile program, accusing Russia and China of blocking UN efforts to hold Pyongyang accountable.

He argued that both countries have repeatedly shielded the DPRK, which has led to the normalization of its missile tests and further violations of UN sanctions.