North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles After Seoul Hypersonic Test
The Facts
- North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the Sea of Japan off its east coast around 9:20 a.m. local time on Monday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- At a press conference, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Jang Do-young revealed that one of the missiles — which South Korea and the U.S. are now analyzing — flew more than 900 kilometers. He added that South Korea was closely monitoring the situation for further "provocations."
- The launches, he suggested, were a "show of force" by North Korea after South Korea for the first time successfully tested a homegrown hypersonic missile on Thursday, days after North Korea claimed it launched an intermediate-range missile incorporating AI on Oct. 3.
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The Spin
Anti-North Korea narrative
These launches are the latest transgression in the North Korean regime's reckless provocations. Not satisfied with injuring three South Korean soldiers in a land mine explosion, North Korea now wants to fire salvos of missiles in response to a routine military test. In the face of such an aggressive foe, South Korea must display its own strength and that of its alliances.
Pro-North Korea narrative
North Korea has a sovereign right to develop a credible deterrent in an increasingly unstable world, particularly as it stares down the barrel of nuclear-capable wargames on its own doorstep. To prevent the hostility of foreign powers from spilling into open conflict, North Korea's missile program ensures regional stability through a balance of force, giving aggressors reason to be wary.
