Seoul: The United States condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches on Wednesday, urging the regime to cease its "unlawful" and "destabilizing" activities. The U.S. reaffirmed its "ironclad" security commitment to both South Korea and Japan amidst these developments.
According to Yonhap News Agency, an official from the Department of War issued a statement following North Korea's launch of multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday morning, Korean time. This marks North Korea's first missile test in approximately five months, occurring just ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled in South Korea for October 31 and November 1.
The official stated, "We are aware of the DPRK's multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea's official name.
The U.S. condemned these actions and called on North Korea to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts. The official emphasized that the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and has assessed that the recent launches do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or its allies.
The U.S. reaffirmed its commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan, describing them as "ironclad."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting the North's missile launches northeastward around 8:10 a.m. from Junghwa County, located in the southern part of North Hwanghae Province. The missiles reportedly flew approximately 350 kilometers.
This recent launch marks North Korea's first missile test since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung assumed office in June. North Korea had last fired short-range ballistic and cruise missiles on May 8 and May 22, respectively.