North Korea fires cruise missiles as US and South Korea prepare for military drills

Asia-Pacific, News August 17, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

North Korea fired two cruise missiles into the sea from its western coast on the morning of August 17.

This was the first missile launch administered by Pyongyang since last month, after a frequent streak of ballistic missile tests. North Korea’s last weapons test took place on July 10, 2022. According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense and military officials, North Korea fired two cruise missiles into the West Sea from Onchon, a coastal city in the South Pyongan province.

Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles are far more accurate in finding the target as they fly close to the surface and are propelled by jet engines. North Korea has been banned by the United Nations sanctions from testing or firing cruise missiles. It was in January 2022, when Pyongyang fired its last cruise missile.

Soon after the cruise missile launch was detected by the South Korean military, the country’s security advisors held a meeting to assess the security situation of the region and examine their military preparedness.

South Korean Defense Ministry officials informed media reporters that “the U.S. and South Korean military authorities are analyzing detailed specifications of the cruise missiles” such as flight time and distance.

The cruise missile launch from North Korea comes only one day after the U.S. and South Korean military began the preliminary leg of their joint military drills to prepare for upcoming live-fire field training drills named Ulchi Freedom Shield 2022. The large-scale military exercise would take place from August 22 to September 1. The U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises infuriate Pyongyang as it terms such military activities as a rehearsal for invading North Korea.

*^{North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a ballistic missile at an undisclosed location on May 14, 2017. (Image Credit: KCNA/AFP)}*

North Korea’s August 17 launch of a cruise missile coincides with 100 days in office for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol. During a press event to mark the first 100 days of his government, President Yoon stressed his willingness to provide economic aid to North Korea if Pyongyang ended its nuclear weapons development and worked toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

“Any dialogue between the leaders of the South and North, or negotiations between working-level officials, should not be a political show, but should contribute to establishing substantive peace on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia,” Yoon said.

The tensions on Korean Peninsula have been on the rise in recent times. The U.S. military and intelligence services have warned that North Korea is ready to test its nuclear weapons in near future. At the end of last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also said that his country was “ready to mobilize” its nuclear deterrents.