[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Has North Korea's Provocation Begun?

Provocation Two Days After ICBM on the 18th
Kim Yo-jong Condemns as "Action Targeting the U.S."

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] North Korea has once again launched a ballistic missile. It has been only two days since the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-15 on the 18th, and the military is currently analyzing the type of the ballistic missile.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 20th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced, "This morning, a ballistic missile of an unidentified type was launched into the East Sea."

The military is analyzing specifications such as flight distance, altitude, and speed, and views the launch as a response to the joint South Korea-US flight exercise conducted the previous day. In response to North Korea's ICBM provocation, South Korea and the US conducted a joint flight exercise in which South Korean Air Force F-35A and F-15K fighters and US Air Force F-16s escorted a US B-1B strategic bomber entering the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).

North Korea continues to retaliate against the South Korea-US response. Immediately after the ballistic missile launch on the same day, Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, issued a statement targeting the United States, warning that further measures would continue to be taken.

Deputy Director Kim said, "The frequency with which we use the Pacific as our shooting range depends on the nature of the US military's actions," adding, "We are carefully considering the impact on our national security, and if we determine there is any direct or indirect concern, we will take corresponding measures. We want to reaffirm this as a fait accompli on this occasion."