- The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated in a statement that the launch took place on Wednesday but did not provide any other information, such as how far the missile traveled.
- As part of field training with South Korea, the US had flown a B-1B bomber to the Korean Peninsula earlier on Wednesday.
South Korea’s military reported that North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday at its eastern waters, hours after the US sent at least one long-range bomber to the Korean Peninsula as a show of force against the North.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated in a statement that the launch took place on Wednesday but did not provide any other information, such as the missile’s flight path.
A B-1B bomber was flown to the Korean Peninsula earlier on Wednesday by the US as part of joint military drills with South Korea. The field training has been taking place concurrently with an ongoing annual computer-simulated command post exercise between the US and South Korea called “Ulchi Freedom Shield.”
US-South Korean military exercises are seen as a practice invasion by North Korea.
North Korea’s state media reported earlier this week that leader Kim Jong Un urged the military to be always prepared for battle to counter rivals’ intentions to invade.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim claimed that US-led hostilities had caused the waters off the Korean Peninsula to become unstable and “with the danger of a nuclear war” in a speech honoring the nation’s Navy Day on Monday.
North Korea has conducted more than 100 weapons tests since the start of 2022, many of which involved nuclear-capable missiles intended to attack the US, South Korea, and Japan. According to many observers, North Korea aims to utilize its improved military capabilities to pressure the US into making more concessions.
The US and South Korea have increased military drills in response to North Korea’s testing campaign, resumed trilateral training with Japan, and improved “regular visibility” of US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula. For the first time in forty years, the US sent a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea in July.