North Korea fires two ballistic missiles toward eastern waters

Asia-Pacific, News December 24, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea from its eastern coast on December 23, 2022. The recent test comes only a few days after the South Korean military conducted a joint air drill with the U.S. Air Force.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired in the afternoon from the Sunan area on North Korea’s eastern coast near the capital Pyongyang and the missiles flew into the eastern waters.

“Our military maintains a full readiness posture while closely cooperating with the US while strengthening surveillance and vigilance,” South Korea’s JCS said in a statement.

The missile test came only a few days after U.S. and South Korean militaries carried out a large-scale aerial drill in the same area. U.S. Air Force flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint training with South Korean fighter jets.

North Korea did not release any statement linking the missile test to the military drills, however, it is evident that North Korea conducted the missile tests to send a message to the U.S. and South Korea about its disapproval of their joint military exercise. North Korea typically views such military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion.

Despite heavy sanctions on its military accusation and weapons development programs, North Korea conducted a barrage of missile tests in recent months, including a launch test for its most advanced and largest Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM).

The recent launch also coincides with the White House’s claims that North Korea is supplying weapons to Russia’s private military group, Wagner, whose mercenaries are fighting in Ukraine along with the Russian forces.

^{The North Korean government shows what it says is a test firing of a “super-large” rocket launcher by the Academy of Defense Science in North Korea on October 31, 2019. (Image Credit: KCNA/Korea News Service via AP)}

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on December 23, that Pyongyang has already sent a huge supply of weapons to the Wagner Group, which is searching worldwide for arms manufacturers who can supply its military operations in Ukraine. Wagner group has been sanctioned and banned to purchase weapons from most international weapons suppliers due to its involvement in the war in Ukraine.

“We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for that equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner,” Kirby told reporters.

Pyongyang has denied the accusations. In a statement broadcasted by the Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean foreign ministry denied conducting any arms transaction with Russia, saying the story was “cooked up by some dishonest forces for different purposes.”