North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles After South Korea’s Hypersonic Weapon Test

North Korea has launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, October 12, South Korea’s military said.

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on October 12, days after South Korea tested a hypersonic glide vehicle. [Photo: Yonhap News Agency]

The launches appeared to be a show of force following South Korea’s recent successful test of a hypersonic weapon, Kim Hyun-soo reported for Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches at about 9:20 a.m. from the Pyongyang area.

At least one missile traveled more than 900 kilometers, according to the military.

JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young said an initial assessment indicated that the launches were intended to protest South Korea’s successful test of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) and demonstrate North Korea’s progress under its five-year plan to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Jang declined to identify the missiles as hypersonic or intermediate-range weapons, saying the military needed to conduct further analysis to determine their specifications.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry condemned the launches as a serious provocation that violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. It said the actions did not help manage the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea conducted its first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle on October 8.

The test came amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas following a September land-mine explosion on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers.

A joint investigation by South Korea and the United Nations Command attributed the explosion to mines planted by North Korean troops, a finding Pyongyang denied.

North Korea’s October 12 launches followed an earlier ballistic missile launch from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on October 3. North Korean state media subsequently reported that the country had tested an intermediate-range strategic missile.