Seoul (South Korea), May 25: North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday.
The first three launches were suspected to be ICBM which flew for about 360 km at an altitude of 540 metres, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS).
Military officials also assumed that the missile launched was the North's newest Hwasong-17 ICBM. The second missile launch, which seemed to be a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), was deemed a failure because it vanished after reaching an altitude of 20 kilometres, according to Yonhap News Agency. North Korea can conduct an ICBM or nuclear test to enhance its military presence and tighten national unity in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak and economic crisis.
"The North's ICBM launch is yet another case of its breach of a moratorium on ICBM launches that it itself pledged to the international community, and the launch is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious provocative act," stated the JCS.
They further said, "Our military is monitoring related movements in preparation against the possibility of additional provocations by the North, and is maintaining a full readiness posture to ensure an overwhelming victory at all times."
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The US Indo-Pacific Command say that the missile launches highlight the "destabilizing impact of the DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) illicit weapons program," reported, Yonhap News Agency.
"We are aware of the multiple DPRK (North Korea) ballistic missile launches today and are assessing and consulting closely with our allies and partners," the press release stated, adding, "The US commitment to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad."
In response to North Korea's missile launch, South Korea and the US launched a Hyunmoo-II ballistic missile and an Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile into the East Sea, according to the JCS, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Earlier, North Korea sought to diversify its nuclear delivery vehicles by launching what seemed to be an ICBM, an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile.
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-PTC News