North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, just days after Seoul demanded an apology over a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers.
The launch followed a tense exchange between the two Koreas, with Pyongyang rejecting Seoul’s accusation over the blast and dismissing recent calls for dialogue.
North Korea Missile Launch
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea and travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
“South Korea, the US, and Japan are maintaining a robust defense posture through close information sharing regarding North Korean ballistic missiles,” the military said.
The launch came a day after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticised Seoul and rejected its demand for an apology over the DMZ explosion.
Pyongyang Denies Responsibility for Blast
South Korea and the US-led United Nations Command said their investigation found that the explosion last month was caused by North Korean mines placed on the South Korean side of the border.
Three South Korean soldiers were injured in the blast.
South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the mines were believed to have been laid as part of North Korea’s efforts to reinforce its border.
Pyongyang has stepped up work along the frontier, including laying mines and constructing anti-tank barriers, as it seeks to strengthen the border following Kim Jong Un’s declaration in 2024 that South Korea was the North’s “principal enemy.”
- North Korea has denied responsibility for the explosion.
- Kim Yo Jong Rejects Seoul’s Call for Dialogue
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on North Korea to return to dialogue on Thursday, despite Seoul’s military demanding an apology over the blast.
Kim Yo Jong rejected the overture, describing South Korea as “really despicable” and calling the demand for an apology “quite ridiculous.”
She also mocked Lee’s appeal for dialogue, describing it as “the climax of the farce that everyone should watch.”
Kim warned that North Korea was “ready for anything” Seoul might do in response to the incident.
On Friday, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young proposed talks with Pyongyang on issues involving the border. Kim Yo Jong dismissed the proposal as a “wild dream and unilateral jargon.”
Analysts See Message Behind Missile Launch
Analysts said the missile launch appeared to underline Pyongyang’s rejection of Seoul’s diplomatic outreach.
“Seoul called for easing tensions, but Pyongyang answered by escalating them,” Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.
He said the launch suggested North Korea was responding to Seoul’s goodwill with a continued focus on confrontation.
South Korea’s defence minister had earlier said the military had “a range of necessary measures at our disposal” and would introduce them in stages following the DMZ incident.
Trump’s North Korea Outreach Adds Pressure
The latest confrontation comes as US President Donald Trump has made recent overtures toward Pyongyang.
That has raised concerns in Seoul that South Korea, despite being a key US ally, could have a limited role in any future US-North Korea negotiations over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
South Korea’s opposition People Power Party also criticised Lee’s government, accusing it of failing to respond adequately to North Korea after the mine blast.
“South Korean soldiers have been injured, and far from receiving an apology, we have been mocked by North Korea,” the party said.
The latest missile launch comes as Seoul continues to push for dialogue while Pyongyang maintains its rejection of the South Korean government’s recent overtures.
Comments are closed.