Seoul (EFE).- North Korea today launched several cruise missiles from its northeastern coast, in what seems to be another reply to the maneuvers that Seoul and Washington are carrying out these days in the south of the peninsula.
The South Korean Army “detected several cruise missiles launched from the Hamhung area, in the South Hamgyong province (northeast of the country) towards the East Sea (name given to the Sea of Japan in the two Koreas) around 10:15 ( 1.15 GMT) today,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
This is the tenth launch of missiles carried out this year by North Korea, half of which have been carried out as a response to the celebration of the great spring maneuvers of the Freedom Shield allies, which began on March 13 and they conclude tomorrow.
Unlike the launch of ballistic missiles, the launch of cruise missiles is not included in the UN Security Council resolutions that punish the Pyongyang regime for developing its weapons of mass destruction program.
“The Republic of Korea Army (official name of the South) will successfully complete the Freedom Shield joint command post exercise under a strong combined defense posture while continuing to steadfastly execute the Warrior Shield Field Exercises (FTX),” added the JCS.
Warrior Shield will continue to run for the next few days, and a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is expected to take part in these war games next week.
a ballistic missile
Today’s launch comes just three days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile for the first time from a ballistic missile silo.
On March 16, the regime also fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, a Hwasong-17, its projectile with the longest potential range, into the Sea of Japan.
Pyongyang has repeatedly vowed to respond forcefully to the Freedom Shield exercises, the largest the allies have conducted since 2018.
The peninsula is experiencing a historic level of tension after 2022 in which North Korea, which has rejected offers to return to dialogue, will carry out a record number of weapons tests and in which the allies once again carry out large maneuvers and deploy aircraft carriers. nuclear-powered or strategic bombers on the peninsula.