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The two allies conducted a four-missile test hours after Pyongyang again defied the international community by launching a medium-range missile that flew over Japan and raised tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. In the rehearsal, one of the South Korean devices had an error and exploded in its own territory, although no victims were mourned.
The United States and South Korea have taken just hours to respond to North Korea. The two allies rushed to carry out a test exercise by launching four ballistic missiles from the Korean peninsula, with the sole objective of warning Pyongyang about the risk posed by their military exercises.
The news comes after the North Korean regime further escalated the growing tension in the Asia-Pacific region by launching an intermediate-range missile to a distance never reached before. This projectile also crossed an inhabited area in the north of the Japanese archipelago. A situation that has made the Japanese authorities warn their citizens of nuclear risks and advise them to take refuge.
The North Korean device reached up to 4,500 kilometers away and reached 1,000 kilometers in height. This was the first time in more than five years that Pyongyang dares to do this, an issue that suggests that this nation has increased its nuclear arsenal and intends to demonstrate it with higher caliber challenges.
The response from South Korea and the United States has consisted of the deployment of fighters by South Korea with the intention of attacking figurative targets in the Yellow Sea and the launch of four US-made ATACMS missiles. In that aspect, the United States launched two and South Korea another two.
One of the South Korean missiles failed
The joint test was not without controversy, as the second missile launched by South Korea failed and crashed near a military base, causing a fire. The authorities recognized the failure, although they did not specify the causes of it.
This mistake caused panic in the area at the idea that it could be a North Korean attack. The South Korean military command issued a statement saying no casualties were reported in the accident. Despite this, South Korea assured that they have the capacity to respond against their neighbors if necessary.
Both the United States and its allies in the region and the European Union raised their complaint about North Korea’s military escalation, and announced their intentions to take the case to the United Nations Security Council, although it seems that the complaint will not prosper. because both Russia and China would exercise their right to veto.
North Korea could be trying to extend the range of its missiles in order to pose a real threat to US territory in order to negotiate its international situation.
Despite the fact that during the government of former President Donald Trump there were a series of rapprochements with Pyongyang with the aim of reducing tension, the talks have been suspended since 2021, something that has accentuated the international isolation of this nation.
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