Second Launch Since Start of Trump’s Second Term
Possible Intentions for Exports to Russia
On the morning of May 8, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that from around 8:10 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. that day, they detected the launch of several types of short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area in North Korea toward the East Sea.
The missiles launched by North Korea that day flew up to approximately 800 kilometers before landing in the East Sea.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had detected signs of North Korea’s missile launch preparations in advance and had been monitoring the situation. They immediately detected and tracked the missiles at the time of launch. In addition, the military closely shared related information with the United States and Japan, and is currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of the detailed specifications of the missiles.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "North Korea's missile launches are a clear act of provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and we strongly condemn them." They added, "Our military, under the firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, is closely monitoring North Korea's various activities to prevent any misjudgment, and maintains the capability and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation."
This is North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch in about two months since March 10. It is also the second such launch since the inauguration of President Donald Trump’s second administration in January.
Recently, North Korea has been focusing on launching short-range ballistic missiles instead of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Some analysts suggest that this may be intended both to avoid provoking the Trump administration and with potential exports to Russia in mind.
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