North Korea Launches Missile Toward East Sea Around 10:17 AM
Joint Chiefs "Suspected SLBM"... NSC "Deep Regret"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Hee-jong] The US military condemned North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launch on the 19th as an act that creates instability, but assessed that it does not pose an immediate threat.
The US Indo-Pacific Command stated in a press release on the same day, "We are aware that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) this morning, and we are closely consulting with regional allies and partners, including South Korea and Japan."
It added, "The United States condemns this act and urges North Korea to cease such destabilizing actions."
It also emphasized, "The US military assesses that this incident does not pose an immediate threat to the lives and territory of the United States and its allies," and "We will continue to monitor the situation."
Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the short-range ballistic missile launched by North Korea on the 19th is presumed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in the afternoon, "At around 10:17 AM today (19th), we detected an unidentified short-range ballistic missile presumed to be an SLBM launched by North Korea from the sea east of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, into the East Sea." They added, "South Korean and US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of additional specifications and characteristics."
The ballistic missile is reported to have been detected at an altitude of 60 km and a range of 430 to 450 km.
Immediately after North Korea's missile launch on the day, the government held an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) Standing Committee, chaired by National Security Office Director Suh Hoon, from 11:30 AM to 12:40 PM for about 1 hour and 10 minutes to discuss response measures to North Korea's projectile launch.
The standing committee members expressed deep regret that North Korea's missile launch occurred amid active consultations with major countries such as the US, China, Japan, and Russia to advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
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