North Korea conducts second short-range missile test

North Korea has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards its east coast, marking the second such test in just one week.

According to South Korea and Japan, the missiles were fired from Kaechon, located north of Pyongyang, at approximately 6:50 a.m. local time (21:50 GMT on Tuesday). The missiles traveled around 400 kilometers (249 miles) northeast, though specifics on the number of missiles and their impact points remain undisclosed.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the missile tests, stating, “North Korea’s missile launch is a clear act of provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and we strongly condemn it.” Japan’s coastguard confirmed at least two of the ballistic missiles were fired.

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This latest escalation follows a high-profile meeting between North Korea’s foreign minister and top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu in Moscow. Analysts suggest that the recent missile tests might be linked to North Korea’s alleged covert supply of weapons to Russia, a claim Pyongyang denies. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, speculated that the missile launches could be related to potential weapon exports to Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

North Korea’s latest test comes on the heels of a similar launch last Thursday, which was reportedly a demonstration of a new 600mm multiple-launch rocket system. The country has not conducted a significant test since early July, and the recent activities follow a report by Conflict Armament Research, which linked North Korean missiles to the battlefield in Ukraine. Additionally, UN sanctions monitors have identified fragments of North Korean missiles in Ukraine, further complicating international scrutiny of Pyongyang’s actions.

The missile tests also follow North Korea’s release of the first-ever images of its uranium enrichment facility, highlighting the nation’s ongoing defiance of international sanctions imposed since its first nuclear test in 2006. As tensions escalate, the international community remains alert to North Korea’s aggressive posture and its implications for regional and global stability.