June 6 2022 07:24
South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles Monday in response to North Korea’s launch of the same number of missiles Sunday, the South Korean military said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the two allies launched missiles from the surface-to-surface tactical missile system (ATACMS) at dawn on Monday at targets in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
The 10-minute launch of this batch of missiles came the day after Pyongyang launched eight short-range ballistic missiles, following joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, in which a US aircraft carrier participated.
“Our military strongly condemns the series of ballistic missile provocations by North Korea and strongly urges it to immediately stop actions that increase military tensions on the peninsula,” the South Korean military said in its statement.
Monday’s missile launch was the second joint show of force by allies under the new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul, who has vowed to toughen his stance in the face of Pyongyang’s provocations.
North Korea has long protested the joint US-South Korean exercises as preparation for an invasion.
North Korea, one of the world’s most militarized countries, has conducted several military tests since the beginning of the year, including launching dozens of ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.
Pyongyang has stepped up efforts to improve its weapons program this year despite severe economic sanctions.
Although North Korea is facing a severe wave of Covid-19, new satellite images show that Pyongyang has resumed construction of a nuclear reactor that has been suspended for a long time.
The United States and South Korea have been warning for weeks that Kim Jong-un’s regime may conduct a seventh nuclear test.
Source: agencies
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