North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles early Sunday, adding to one of its biggest two-week barrages under Kim Jong Un that has ratcheted up tension to levels not seen in years.
The suspected ballistic missiles were detected shortly before 2 a.m. local time and flew toward waters east of its coast, Yonhap said, citing South Korea’s military. Japan’s coast guard earlier said at least the first missile appeared to have already landed.
The launch comes after North Korea shot off 10 ballistic missiles over the past two weeks that included firing its first missile over Japan in five years. The series of tests hearkened back to the autumn of 2017 when Kim’s regime unleashed its largest barrage of long-range rockets and detonated a nuclear bomb, which prompted fresh United Nations sanctions as punishment.
North Korea often times its weapons tests to political events, and the latest launch came after the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group made a U-turn after the missile flew over Japan. The carrier group went back to waters off the Korean Peninsula, where its vessels held missile defense exercises with naval forces from Japan and South Korea on Thursday.
Pyongyang on Saturday criticized the presence of the carrier group as “extremely worrisome,” saying that its armed forces are taking a serious approach toward its deployment.
North Korea has bristled for decades at joint military exercises, calling them a prelude to an invasion. Its latest provocations have been the strongest reaction under Kim to the U.S. bringing nuclear assets into the region.
The carrier group had previously been in the same area in late September at around the time U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Japan and South Korea. During her visit, which took her to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas, Harris warned North Korea against raising tensions and called on Kim to return to stalled nuclear disarmament talks.
Unlike with previous launches, his regime has mostly refrained from trumpeting the missiles along with the usual creative vitriol directed at the U.S. and its allies. Kim Jong Un himself has been out of the public eye for nearly a month, his longest absence in a year.
North Korea on Monday has one of the biggest days on its political calendar when it celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of its ruling Workers’ Party. If Kim doesn’t show up at festivities, speculation is certain to mount about the health of the 38-year-old leader, who’s overweight and a heavy smoker.
The subdued posture suggests North Korea is intent on letting actions speak louder than words as it looks to build a credible nuclear threat. A big reason is that Kim has more reliable partners in China and Russia, which supported sanctions against his regime at the United Nations only five years ago.
Further provocations may be coming with the U.S., Japan and South Korea saying Pyongyang may be ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years — with the three pledging a stern and united response if there’s a blast.
The tensions will likely add to global anxiety over nuclear saber-rattling as Russian President Vladimir Putin alludes to his atomic arsenal while attempting to bolster his struggling invasion of Ukraine. The U.S.’s push to isolate Russia over the war — coupled with increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing — has allowed Kim to strengthen his nuclear deterrent without fear of new U.N. sanctions.
