US Vice President Kamala Harris (R) uses a pair of binoculars while being briefed by a member of the military at a military operation post as she visits the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, in Panmunjom on September 29, 2022. (Photo by Leah MILLIS / POOL / AFP)
SEOUL 鈥斅燦orth Korea fired two ballistic missiles early on Saturday, South Korea鈥檚 military said, the nuclear-armed country鈥檚 fourth launch this week as Seoul, Tokyo and Washington ramp up joint military drills to counter Pyongyang.
South Korea, Japan and the U.S. staged anti-submarine drills Friday 鈥� the first in five years 鈥� just days after Washington and Seoul鈥檚 navies conducted large-scale exercises in waters off the peninsula.
US Vice President Kamala Harris was in Seoul Thursday and toured the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, on a trip that aimed to underscore her country鈥檚 鈥渋ronclad鈥� commitment to South Korea鈥檚 defence against the North.
With talks long stalled, Pyongyang has doubled down on its banned weapons programmes, conducting a record-breaking blitz of tests this year and revising its laws to declare itself an 鈥渋rreversible鈥� nuclear power.
South Korea鈥檚 military said it had 鈥渄etected two short-range missiles between 0645 and 0703 fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang into the East Sea,鈥� referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
The missiles 鈥渇lew approximately 350 km (217 miles) at an altitude of 30 km at speed of Mach 6鈥�, Seoul鈥檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, calling the launches 鈥渁 serious provocation.鈥�
Tokyo also confirmed the launch, saying the missiles had landed outside Japan鈥檚 exclusive economic zones.
搁贰础顿:听North Korea fires possible ICBM in largest test since 2017
Toshiro Ino, Japan鈥檚 vice defence minister, said the missiles 鈥渁ppear to have flown in irregular trajectories鈥�.
Experts say the irregular trajectories indicate the missiles are capable of manoeuvring in flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the latest launch 鈥渉ighlights the destabilising impact of the DPRK鈥檚 unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs鈥�, using the official abbreviation for North Korea.
Harris trip
North Korea marked Harris鈥檚 trip to Seoul with a flurry of missile launches 鈥� firing off short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, the latter test just hours after the vice president flew out of South Korea.
Washington has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to help protect it from the North.
Under South Korea鈥檚 President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, the two countries have boosted joint exercises, which they insist are purely defensive.
Just before Harris arrived in Seoul, Washington sent the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to South Korea to conduct a large-scale joint naval exercise in a show of force against Pyongyang.
Such drills infuriate North Korea, which sees them as rehearsals for an invasion.
鈥淣orth Korea鈥檚 short-range ballistic tests are less important than a nuclear test but still violate UN Security Council resolutions,鈥� said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, adding that the timing was 鈥減rovocative鈥�.
North Korea is 鈥渞apidly modernizing weapons and taking advantage of a world divided by US-China rivalry and Russia鈥檚 annexation of more Ukrainian territory,鈥� he said.
鈥淧yongyang鈥檚 actions again make clear the need for Washington and Seoul to reinforce military deterrence, tighten economic sanctions, and increase policy coordination with Tokyo,鈥� he added.
Nuclear test next?
South Korean and US officials have been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.
On Wednesday, the South鈥檚 spy agency said North Korea鈥檚 next nuclear test could happen in the window between China鈥檚 upcoming party congress on October 16 and the US midterm elections on November 7.
That assessment was in line with one offered Friday by a US official, who said such a test would likely take place one to two weeks after the congress.
Admiral Sam Paparo, head of the US fleet in the region, said in Honolulu that any such test would be a 鈥渕atter of grave, grave concern鈥�, and would prompt a US response spanning 鈥渕ultiple instruments of national power鈥�.
North Korea, which is under multiple UN sanctions for its weapons programmes, typically seeks to maximise the geopolitical impact of its tests with careful timing.
The isolated country has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006, most recently in 2017.
President Yoon on Saturday warned of dire consequences if Pyongyang used nuclear weapons against its southern neighbour.
鈥淚f North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons it will face a resolute and overwhelming response from our military and Korea-US alliance,鈥� he said in a speech marking Armed Forces Day.