(Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images)
North Korea fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea from different locations, continuing a year of provocative missile exhibitions.
North Korea launched eight ballistic missiles from several places at the same time, raising suspicions that Kim Jong-un is planning a new nuclear test.
The dictator has promised to expand his weapons program this year, boasting that he will scare the globe with more missile launches. South Korea said the latest salvo of missiles was launched from different places into the sea over 30 minutes on Sunday.
North Korea Fires 8 Ballistic Missiles
They flew at altitudes of up to 55 miles and traveled distances ranging from 68 to 416 miles. The simultaneous test firing from different places was uncommon, said Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.
Two missiles were fired from each facility, the most ballistic missiles North Korea has recently launched in a single day. Analysts say the missile launches, one of roughly 20 nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang this year, send a grim message to Seoul and Washington.
Analysts have cautioned Kim Jong Un that he may accelerate nuclear testing preparations to distract North Koreans from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government has begun work on a long-dormant nuclear plant, according to fresh satellite images, as per The Sun.
Meanwhile, South Korea and the US launched eight ballistic missiles on Monday in retaliation to North Korean nuclear tests the day before, in consonance with Seoul's military. The allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile against targets in the East Sea, commonly known as the Sea of Japan, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The 10-minute volley comes a day after North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles in response to a joint military exercise including a US aircraft carrier between South Korea and the United States. The launches on Monday are the partners' second such combined show of force under South Korea's hardline new President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has promised a harder stance against Pyongyang's provocations.
Seoul and Washington conducted coordinated launches last month after Pyongyang launched three ballistic missiles, including a potential intercontinental ballistic missile, in their first such cooperative operation since 2017, according to The Star.
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What Does North Korea Want From US?
North Korea has retained its historically antagonistic strength-to-strength posture against the United States, and Kim appears to be operating under that premise about the Biden administration. Kim Jong Un wishes for his country to be acknowledged by the US and the world community as a legitimate nuclear-weapon state.
Kim Jong Un underlined the importance of nuclear power during his address at a military parade on April 25, demonstrating his determination to maintain upgrading his nuclear weapons in the face of additional economic restrictions imposed by the US and the UN as a countermeasure.
He also hinted at employing nuclear weapons as a preemptive strategy against his opponents, but experts doubt that Kim will launch missiles against the US mainland in a preemptive assault.
Observers believe the North's nuclear and ballistic missile tests are intended to up the ante at the negotiating table, allowing Kim to extract more bargaining chips from Biden in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions if the nuclear talks are restarted, Fox New via MSN reported.
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