The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea has confirmed that North Korea has fired two cruise missiles off the West Coast on March 21. This was the first missile test of Pyongyang in about a year.
Key Points
- As per a JCS Officer, two projectiles were detected by us and are presumed to be cruise missiles fired from the North’s western port county of Onchon.
- South Korean and US authorities are analyzing details and closely monitoring moves by North Korea.
- The decision not to announce the recent firings was made jointly with the U.S. side. We are closely monitoring the North Korean military activities while maintaining a firm joint readiness posture,” another JCS officer said.
- North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un was not present to observe the latest firings.
- Representative Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said in a Facebook post that the launches took place at around 6:36 am on March 21. It also added that the US and South Korea were aware of the firings but they decided not to make them public.
As per the Biden Administration, the North Korean tests involved weapons systems at the low end of the spectrum that was not covered by U.N. Security Council testing bans.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024