North Korean missile lands off South Korean coast
STORY: North Korea fired at least seventeen missiles into the sea on Wednesday (November 2).
Seoul says one of them landed less than 38 miles off South Korea’s coast and for the first time crossed a disputed maritime border, which is outside of South Korea’s territorial waters.
The apparent missile tests triggered air raid signals on the South Korean Island of Ulleung.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called it an “effective act of territorial encroachment.”
Military chiefs in Seoul voiced alarm at the latest development.
“This North Korean missile launch, which marks the first time since the division of the peninsula that has landed near our territorial waters south of the Northern Limit Line, is very rare and we can never tolerate it. Our military will firmly respond to it.”
In response South Korea scrambled fighter jets that fired three air-to-ground missiles across the maritime border.
Japan also condemned Pyongyang’s missile tests on Wednesday.
Its defense chief said a complaint was lodged with Beijing through diplomatic channels.
Wednesday’s launch comes after a warning from Pyongyang, of “powerful follow-up measures” if the U.S. and South Korea didn’t stop large-scale joint air drills.
Those went on ahead, with hundreds of warplanes – including F-35 stealth fighters from both sides – staging mock attacks 24 hours a day.
According to Seoul, the training was needed to counter potential threats from North Korea, which has staged a record number of missile launches this year.
In a statement on Wednesday, North Korea said the allied drills were “inordinate moves for military confrontation” that created a “grave situation on the Korean peninsula”.
