South Korea and the United States have fired four surface-to-surface missiles toward the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said Wednesday, after a series of barrages by North Korea.
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According to the South Korean General Staff, South Korean and US forces each fired two tactical missiles at simulated targets. On Tuesday, the air forces of the two allies had already conducted a bombing exercise against a target in the Yellow Sea.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, told CNN that it was to “respond to provocations from the North, to make sure we can demonstrate our own capabilities” and to “make sure we have.” Prepare military skills.
However, he did not directly confirm the firing and did not provide further details.
“It doesn’t have to come to that. “We have made it clear to Kim Jong Un that we are ready to sit at the table without preconditions,” he added.
North Korea, which amended its law to make its status as a nuclear power “irreversible,” stepped up its fire this year and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.
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Pyongyang fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on Tuesday, prompting Tokyo to activate its warning system and tell people in some areas to evacuate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “escalation” and called on Pyongyang to “re-start negotiations” to achieve “complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for his part condemned a “provocation” that “clearly violates international principles and United Nations standards” and ordered a “firm response”.
