North Korea Launches Short-Range Ballistic Missile into East Sea... Second Show of Force under Lee Administration (Comprehensive)

On November 7, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. This marks the second such launch since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, and comes 16 days after the previous launch on October 22.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced via a text message on the same day, stating, "At approximately 12:35 p.m. today (the 7th), our military detected a projectile, presumed to be a short-range ballistic missile, launched from the Daegwan area in North Pyongan Province toward the East Sea."

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the ballistic missile launched by North Korea this time traveled a distance of about 700 kilometers. South Korea and the United States are currently conducting a detailed analysis of its exact specifications.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff added, "South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had detected and monitored signs of North Korea preparing for a missile launch in advance, and tracked the launch immediately after detection." They also stated, "Relevant information was closely shared with the United States and Japan." Furthermore, they emphasized, "Under the robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities and maintains the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."

North Korea's ballistic missile provocation is interpreted as a response to the recent series of sanctions imposed by the U.S. government. On November 4 (local time), the U.S. Department of the Treasury newly designated eight North Korean nationals and two North Korea-based institutions involved in laundering proceeds from the regime's cybercrimes as targets of sanctions. In response, on the previous day, Kim Euncheol, Vice Minister for U.S. Affairs at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement saying, "Since the U.S. administration has declared its intention to remain hostile to us to the end, we, too, will respond accordingly with patience for as long as necessary." It is analyzed that North Korea launched the ballistic missile just one day after this statement.