North Korea Launches Two Short Range Ballistic Missiles, Lands In Japan’s EEZ: Report

North Korea on Wednesday launched two short-range ballistic missiles eastwards, just hours after the US deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to a South Korean port for the first time in 40 years, according to reports from Reuters. The missiles fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, as confirmed by the Japanese Defense Ministry.

In response to the missile launches, South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) issued a statement condemning North Korea’s actions, stating that they “undermine the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the international community.” The JCS called on North Korea to cease such launches, emphasizing that they constitute a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The US military acknowledged the ballistic missile launches and stated that it was in consultation with its allies and partners, as reported by Reuters. 

The US Indo-Pacific Command released a statement, noting that while the launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, they emphasized the destabilizing impact of North Korea’s illicit weapons program.

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According to Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, the first missile reached a height of 50 kilometres and travelled a distance of 550 kilometres, while the second missile also reached a height of 50 kilometres and flew 600 kilometres. The Japanese government has lodged a protest against the missile launches through diplomatic channels.

These launches occurred less than a week after North Korea tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-18, which Pyongyang claimed was a warning to the United States and its adversaries.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, a US soldier fled to North Korea from the South Korean side of a border village. Private 2nd Class Travis King, who is in his early 20s, had recently been released from a South Korean prison where he was held on assault charges. 

Instead of boarding a flight back to Texas, the soldier joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom and subsequently ran across the border into North Korea. This event has created a new crisis between the United States and North Korea.