Important Takeaways:
- North Korea launched seven short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula in a test on Monday evening ahead of the U.S. presidential election, according to The Associated Press.
- The seven missiles, detected by Japan and South Korea, flew as far as 400 kilometers (248 miles) according to Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.
- Some analysts believe that North Korea might leverage its expanding nuclear arsenal in order to gain concessions from the next U.S. administration, particularly in the form of sanctions relief.
- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol theorized as to why North Korea has conducted the missile launches and said, “North Korea seems to have recently disclosed its nuclear facility in order to draw attention from the United States and the international community in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, and it is likely that North Korea will carry out additional provocations such as nuclear tests and ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] launches going forward.”
- The ICBM that North Korea tested at the end of last month could theoretically reach anywhere in the U.S. mainland, as it reached an altitude of 4,350 miles and flew a distance of 620 miles, according to Nakatani. It has a potential range of 9,320 miles.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- North Korea fired at least 10 apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the waters off its eastern coast on Thursday, Seoul said, days after its attempt to put another spy satellite launch into orbit ended in a ball of fire.
- South Korean officials said the short-range weapons had been fired from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, traveling around 350 kilometers (215 miles) before splashing down into the Sea of Japan.
- Speaking at a news conference later Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more “provocations” by Pyongyang were likely in store.
- “We believe that North Korea may continue to launch various types of missiles and other provocations in the future,” Hayashi said. “The government will continue to work closely with the United States and South Korea to collect and analyze necessary information and do its utmost to monitor the situation.”
- While the North has in the past launched multiple missiles in a single volley — apparently training for conducting so-called saturation strikes that overwhelm enemy defenses — the sheer number Thursday was unusual.
- Decker Eveleth, an analyst with the CNA research group, said these types of saturation drills could become a new normal for the North.
- “We will likely see more big salvo launches out of DPRK going forward”
Read the original article by clicking here.
