Pyongyang Launches Ballistic Missiles before South Korean Leader’s Visit to China
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea, ahead of a state visit by South Korea’s President to China.
In a statement on Sunday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected several ballistic missile launches from Pyongyang, adding that authorities in Seoul and Washington were analyzing details of the launching.
Furthermore, the statement emphasized South Korea’s readiness to repel any provocation by its Northern neighbor, adding that it was actively exchanging information with the US and Japan on Pyongyang’s missile launches.
Peace on Korean Peninsula
Marking the first in two months, North Korea’s ballistic missile launch occurred hours before South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung’s departure for China for a summit with its leader, Xi Jinping, reported the Associated Press (AP).
The two leaders’ discussions will address Pyongyang’s nuclear program and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean President will ask his Chinese counterpart, who is the North’s major ally and top trading partner, to play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Peninsula, Lee’s office said.
Japan also confirmed at least two missile launches by North Korea. “They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world,” the Japanese Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, told reporters.
Later Sunday, Seoul held an emergency meeting for its national security council, urging North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which violate UN Security Council resolutions.
Maduro’s Capture Implications
The ballistic missile launches came hours after the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, to face narco-terrorism charges in New York.
While North Korea’s state media has not commented on the US operation, analysts suggested that the attack could have prompted Pyongyang to launch the missiles.
“They likely fear that if the United States so chooses, it could launch a precision strike at any moment, threatening the regime’s survival,” Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.
“The underlying message is likely that attacking North Korea would not be as easy as a strike on Venezuela,” he added.
