Nov. 2 (EUROPA PRESS) –
South Korea launched three missiles north of the maritime border with North Korea in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang’s launch of 10 missiles, one of which fell near the South Korean island of Ulleung.
“The South Korean Army has conducted precision air-to-ground missile firing by our Air Force in response to North Korea’s launch of short-range ballistic missiles,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. South Korea in statements collected by Yonhap.
According to the South Korean Armed Forces, the three missiles have been launched at a distance similar to that of the missiles fired by its northern neighbor. They have also warned that this launch is a demonstration of being “determined to respond to any provocation” from Pyongyang.
“As North Korea continues its provocations despite repeated warnings from our military, I would like to warn you once again that North Korea bears sole responsibility for all subsequent events,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff added.
“The Army maintains a posture of full readiness to ensure an overwhelming victory at all times while tracking and monitoring related trends in preparation for additional North Korean provocations,” it added.
Hours earlier, the president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, condemned the launch of the ten missiles by North Korea and described the projectile that fell near the South Korean coast as a “de facto violation of the territory”.
For this reason, the South Korean president has ordered the Army to take “rapid action” so that the North pays for “the provocations”, and has also ordered the military to be “prepared for additional provocations”, as he stated in an emergency meeting of the National Security Council after the launch and Yonhap has picked up.
North Korea has launched ten missiles on Wednesday, of which one has fallen near the island of Ulleung, which is why the air alert has been activated and thousands of residents have been evacuated to basements.
It is the first time since the end of the Korean War (1950-1953) that North Korea has launched a missile into the territorial waters of its southern neighbor, a fact that has been described by Seoul as “intolerable”.
This new launch by Pyongyang further escalates tensions in the region, after North Korea has launched several ballistic missiles in recent weeks in tests prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, in response to military maneuvers. US-Koreans that it considers an invasion rehearsal.
The United States, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have shared evidence that North Korea is “likely” to carry out a nuclear missile test, the first since 2017.
