Missiles

NKorea Holds Missile Test as US-SKorea Military Drills Begin

AUG 21 2023·Updated FEB 7 2024

Story

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

North Korea's state-run media reported Monday that its leader Kim Jong Un had overseen a cruise missile test on the eve of annual military drills between South Korea and the US.
Al Jazeera
The North's official media further stated that Kim oversaw the missile test aboard a warship on the east coast of North Korea. The launch was intended to "verify the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system" in preparation for an attack mission in warlike circumstances.
Reuters
North Korea fired several "strategic" missiles, without specifying what kind. However, images released with the document indicate that they may have been Hwasal-2 cruise missiles with the capacity to deliver nuclear warheads.
The Japan Times
In response to a North Korean report about the situation on the peninsula, South Korea said the North's statement contained "exaggerated" claims and "many discrepancies from the truth." The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it had been monitoring the activity, which it reportedly detected in advance.
France 24
It was widely anticipated that North Korea would resume weapons testing in reaction to the US-South Korean military exercise. Cruise missiles fly at a lower altitude than ballistic missiles to avoid detection and could potentially attack US naval vessels during a conflict.
VOA
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that the military drills with the US mimic scenarios including cyber and drone strikes from North Korea. Seoul is also reportedly preparing for a disinformation campaign from Pyongyang.
Al Jazeera

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

South Korea maintains a substantial capacity to overwhelm any North Korean provocation. Yet, this latest naval missile test suggests that Pyongyang can threaten the South from multiple points of origin if it thinks an existential threat is looming. The US and South Korea will remain steadfast to the North Korean threat and work tirelessly to preserve peace in the peninsula.

VOA

Establishment-critical narrative

North Korea, like any other nation, has a right to conduct military tests. It's the United States, not North Korea, that's escalating tensions in the region, as these hegemonic actors try to isolate Pyongyang from the world and pressure other nations to follow their lead. A massive and ever-expanding military exercise on the doorstep of North Korea is proof enough of the disrespect the country faces from the West.

Reuters