SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward Japan on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in its second weapons test in three days that drew quick condemnation from its rivals and prompted Tokyo to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
The weapons firings follow an intercontinental ballistic missile launch Saturday, Feb. 18 and North Korea’s threats to take an unprecedentedly strong response to United States-South Korean military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.
Some experts say North Korea could use a new testing spree to expand its arsenal and intends eventually to use its boosted capability as leverage in negotiations with the United States.
South Korea’s military said it detected the two missile launches from a western coastal town, just north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on Monday morning. Japan said both missiles landed in the waters outside of the Japanese exclusive economic zone between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and that no damage involving aircraft and vessels in the area was reported.
According to Japanese and South Korean assessments, the North Korean missiles flew at a maximum altitude of 50-100 kilometers and a distance of 340-400 kilometers.
South Korea’s military said North Korea’s repeated missile launches are “a grave provocation” that undermine international peace. Japan condemned the launches as violations to the UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to the peace and safety of Japan and the international society.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Monday that Japan is requesting an emergency security council meeting in response to North Korea’s launches.
“We must deepen Japan-US and Japan-US-South Korea cooperation,” Kishida said.
An initial security council briefing led by Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari was set for later Monday.
The US.Indo-Pacific Command said the missile launches highlight “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs. It said the US commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan “remain ironclad.” (AP)