Anchor: The latest provocation by North Korea saw the regime fire two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from Monday night in apparent protest against the most recent arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea. This comes only days after the regime carried out similar protests over a visit by another U.S. nuclear submarine a week prior.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles(SRBM) between late Monday and early Tuesday.

According to a JCS official, the missiles were launched from Pyongyang between 11:55 p.m. Monday and 12:00 a.m. Tuesday, each traveling over 400 kilometers before falling into the East Sea.

Intelligence authorities from South Korea and the U.S. have begun analyzing detailed characteristics of the missiles, while Japan said they are estimated to have fallen outside its exclusive economic zone.

The JCS slammed the latest firings as grave provocations in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, stressing that the allies will closely coordinate efforts to monitor the situation while maintaining a firm readiness posture.

JCS spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said the allies are looking into the motive behind the recent nighttime launches as well as preparations for political events in the North marking what it calls Victory Day, commemorating the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 27.

South Korea's National Security Office(NSO) convened a meeting led by second deputy Lim Jong-deuk, where it was briefed by the military on the missile trajectory and developments in the North.

The NSO reportedly views the latest provocation as a means of protest against the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered Annapolis submarine arriving at a naval base off South Korea's southernmost island of Jeju on Monday to resupply.

Monday night’s launches come just five days after Pyongyang launched two SRBMs toward the East Sea, and two days after firing multiple cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea.

Those provocations are speculated to be protests against the port call by the nuclear-capable USS Kentucky in Busan last Tuesday in a major show of force against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : YONHAP News]