North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea from Wonsan, South Korea’s military said, amid heightened tensions following a deadly DMZ landmine blast. Seoul and Washington are analysing the launch as Pyongyang denies responsibility for the border incident.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas following a recent landmine blast along the inter-Korean border that injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the missile launch at around 6:30 a.m. from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast. The military did not immediately identify the exact type of missile but said the projectile travelled approximately 700 kilometres before landing in the sea.
The JCS said South Korean and US intelligence authorities had been tracking the launch from its early stage and were sharing information as they analysed the missile’s characteristics. The two countries are maintaining close surveillance of North Korean military activities under their combined defence posture.
“Our military is closely monitoring various movements by the North under a robust South Korea-US combined defence posture and maintaining the capability and readiness to respond decisively to any provocations,” the JCS said in a notice.
Although the military has not officially classified the weapon, South Korean authorities are examining the possibility that North Korea launched either a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) or an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a reduced flight range.
A government source cited by Yonhap News Agency said there was a possibility that the missile was an IRBM launched over a reduced distance. The source also indicated that the missile appeared similar to one North Korea launched from the Wonsan area on August 12.
The August 12 launch occurred amid tensions over the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise conducted by South Korea and the United States. At the time, South Korean authorities did not publicly disclose detailed specifications of the missile, while analysts considered the possibility that Pyongyang had conducted a reduced-range test of an MRBM or IRBM.
An MRBM is generally associated with a range of about 1,000 to 3,000 kilometres, while an IRBM is generally defined as having a range of approximately 3,000 to 5,500 kilometres. The latest projectile’s reported flight distance of more than 700 kilometres does not by itself establish its missile classification, and South Korean and US authorities are continuing their technical analysis.
The latest launch comes against the backdrop of renewed tensions along the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates North and South Korea. On September 21, a North Korean landmine exploded inside the DMZ, injuring three South Korean soldiers, including two who sustained serious injuries.
The South Korean military has attributed the incident to North Korea and described the placement of mines in the area as a violation of the armistice agreement. Seoul has called on Pyongyang to accept responsibility, issue an apology and stop activities related to fortifying the border.
North Korea, however, has denied involvement in the incident. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a senior figure in the country’s leadership, rejected South Korea’s findings in a statement issued Wednesday. She accused Seoul of fabricating the conclusions and warned of retaliation if South Korea took corresponding measures.
In another statement on Friday, Kim again denied North Korea’s responsibility for the blast. She also criticised South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to reduce military tensions between the two countries and dismissed a proposal by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young for dialogue concerning the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
Chung has cited the fading visibility of the border line as a factor that could contribute to incidents in the DMZ and proposed discussions to clarify the demarcation. North Korea has rejected the proposal.
Saturday’s missile launch was also notable because it came only 13 days after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on September 20. Those launches occurred within hours of each other.
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The latest incident is therefore being closely monitored by South Korean and US authorities as they assess the missile’s technical specifications and the broader pattern of North Korean military activity. The launch adds another development to an already tense period on the Korean Peninsula, where disagreements over border activities, military exercises and weapons testing continue to shape relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
