North Korea fires cruise missiles into the ocean after U.S.-South Korean army drills finish

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a number of cruise missiles into the ocean Saturday, South Korea’s army mentioned, extending its weapons testing actions in response to the United States-South Korea summer time army drills.

South Korea’s army detected the launches early Saturday morning off the North’s west coast, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff mentioned in a press release.

The assertion mentioned South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have been analyzing particulars of the launches. It mentioned South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a agency army readiness in shut coordination with the United States.

The launches got here two days after the U.S. and South Korean militaries wrapped up their 11-day coaching workouts that North Korea regards as a rehearsal for invasion. Washington and Seoul officers preserve their drills are defensive.

A day earlier than the U.S.-South Korean coaching ended, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean in a launch it mentioned was meant to simulate “scorched earth” nuclear strikes on South Korea. The North mentioned it was individually holding a command publish train aimed toward rehearsing an occupation of South Korea’s territory within the occasion of battle.

On Aug. 21, the day when the U.S.-South Korean drills started, North Korea’s state media mentioned its chief Kim Jong Un noticed cruise missile launches.

North Korea’s second try to position a army spy satellite tv for pc in orbit failed Aug. 24, however the nation mentioned it would make a 3rd try in October.

Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has carried out greater than 100 weapons assessments – lots of them ballistic launches, that are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. North Korea’s cruise missile assessments aren’t prohibited, however they nonetheless pose a risk to its rivals as a result of they’re designed to fly at a decrease altitude to evade radar detection. Analysts say the primary missions of North Korean cruise missiles are putting incoming U.S. warships and plane carriers within the occasion of warfare.