photo released, SHUTTERSTOCK
A North Korean missile, in the context of mutual bombing with Seoul, has reached the closest point to South Korea since the end of the war between the two countries
North and South Korea fired a number of missiles into the waters near each other’s coasts, in a marked escalation of hostilities between the two neighbors.
North Korea launched the largest number of missiles in one day – 23 missiles – one of which fell on an area less than 60 kilometers from the South Korean city of Sokcho.
The southern neighbor responded by firing air-to-ground missiles from warplanes over the disputed maritime delimitation area between the two countries.
Then Pyongyang fired six missiles and regarding 100 artillery shells.
North Korea said the bombing was in response to expanded military exercises conducted by joint military forces of South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang describes as “hostile and provocative.”
photo released, YONHAP/REUTERS
Last Tuesday, North Korea threatened both its southern neighbor and the United States that they would “pay the most terrifying price in history” if the two countries continued joint military exercises, in what some described as an implicit threat to use nuclear weapons.
North Korea has tested a number of missiles this year amid rising tensions in the region.
And the exchange of missiles by North Korea began in the waters near its southern neighbor, which led to the sound of sirens on the island of Ulleung, which is controlled by Seoul. The authorities asked the island’s residents to evacuate their homes and go to underground shelters.
One of the ballistic missiles crossed the Northern Maritime Limit Line (NLL), a disputed area between the two Koreas.
The missile landed in territorial waters at a point closest to South Korea, to which a missile launched by its northern neighbor might reach.
Seoul described the North Korean bombing as an “unacceptable” violation of its territory.
South Korean officials said the air-to-surface missiles fired by South Korean fighter jets fell regarding the same distance from the disputed maritime Northern Limit Line.
The exchange of missiles between the two Koreas comes as South Korea is mourning following the stampede in the capital Seoul last weekend during Halloween celebrations, which killed more than 150 people.
photo released, Getty Images
Part of North Korean officials’ follow-up to the missile test
Military officials in Seoul said the missile fired from the north toward the NLM was one of 10 fired in an east-west direction on Wednesday morning.
Then the South Korean military issued an update indicating that the total number of missiles launched by Pyongyang today ingested 23 missiles – seven of them short-range, in addition to 16 ballistic missiles – including six surface-to-air.
The military statement added in this regard that the missile, which reached the nearest point of South Korea at 9 am local time, fell 26 kilometers from the actual border, 57 kilometers east of the coastal city of Sokcho, and 167 kilometers from Ulleung Island in South Korea.
The defenses of South Korea and Japan shot down this missile. The Japanese authorities also issued an immediate condemnation of the escalation by Pyongyang.
The South Korean military said it was the first time – since the split of the Korean peninsula following the 1950-53 war – that a North Korean ballistic missile had landed south of the NLL “close to the territorial waters of South Korea”.
South Korean President Yoon Sok-yul, who pursues a policy that includes tough stances once morest North Korea, described what happened as a “real invasion of the territory” of South Korea, even though the missiles landed outside his country’s territorial waters. He also pledged a “quick and firm response.”
Under international law, countries have the right to demand the protection of their territories in the event of missiles falling 12 nautical miles from their coasts.
Tensions between the two Koreas have been escalating since the beginning of this year, as the Korean Peninsula witnessed the launch of regarding 50 missiles from North Korea in 2022, including one ballistic missile that crossed to Japan.
And a US nuclear submarine reached the coast of South Korea last Monday to participate in a new round of a series of joint military exercises between the two countries, which began last August.
The series of joint military exercises, known as “Awakening Storm”, is the largest and most extensive joint exercise involving Seoul and Washington. Hundreds of warplanes from both sides participate.
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