North Korea launched a second projectile off its eastern coast towards the Sea of Japan on Sunday 20 September, hours after a ballistic missile launch was detected from the Wonsan area towards the same sea, amid continued tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported the second launch, but the nature and range of the projectile were not immediately clear, nor was its landing site identified.
The move followed an earlier launch detected by South Korean military authorities. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first ballistic missile was launched from the Wonsan area towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, at around 3pm local time.
Seoul, Washington and Tokyo strengthen information-sharing
It added that the military was conducting a detailed analysis of the missile’s characteristics and range. The South Korean military raised its surveillance and alert levels in anticipation of further launches by North Korea. It said Seoul, Washington and Tokyo were closely sharing information related to North Korean missiles as they monitored Pyongyang’s military movements and assessed their implications.
Following the launch, South Korea’s National Security Office held an emergency security meeting attended by officials from the Ministry of National Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The meeting focused on reviewing response procedures and assessing the security implications of the launches.
Seoul keeps its forces on alert
Seoul regarded the ballistic missile launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and called on North Korea to halt the operations immediately. The South Korean military said it would keep its forces on alert while continuing to monitor Pyongyang’s movements in preparation for possible further projectile launches. In Japan, the Ministry of Defence said it had detected a projectile suspected to be a ballistic missile.
It said the projectile appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, while the coastguard urged vessels in the area to follow information and updates related to the launch. The two launches came just eight days after North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area towards the same sea.
Pyongyang later said that the 12 September launches had been carried out as part of a joint live-fire drill. According to North Korea’s announcement, the drill involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, multiple rocket launchers and drones, making it an exercise combining several types of weapons and military platforms.
Pyongyang maintains its nuclear status
The latest developments coincided with North Korea reiterating its rejection of international demands to halt its nuclear activities and insisting on its status as a nuclear-armed state. Pyongyang rejected an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution concerning its nuclear programme during the week, affirming that its position on possessing nuclear weapons would not change. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, had said that her country’s nuclear status was “irreversible”.
Meanwhile, the United States, South Korea and Japan continue to call on Pyongyang to comply with Security Council resolutions concerning its nuclear and missile programmes.
