"Relevant agencies instructed to take necessary actions"
Joint Chiefs of Staff: "Ballistic missile flew approximately 700 km"
The National Security Office convened an emergency security situation assessment meeting (NSC) with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in response to North Korea's launch of an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea on November 7, following a similar launch on October 22. The National Security Office stated that it immediately reported the North Korean ballistic missile launch to the President.
During the meeting, the National Security Office reviewed the response measures and instructed relevant agencies to take necessary actions. The government also urged North Korea to cease actions that threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula, condemning the ballistic missile launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Earlier that day, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. This is the second such incident 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, "Our military detected a projectile, presumed to be a short-range ballistic missile, launched into the East Sea from the Daegwan area in North Pyongan Province at approximately 12:35 p.m. today (the 7th)."
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the ballistic missile launched by North Korea this time flew approximately 700 kilometers. The exact specifications are currently being analyzed in detail by South Korea and the United States. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had detected and monitored indications of North Korea's missile launch preparations in advance, and tracked the missile immediately after launch." They added, "We also closely shared relevant information with the United States and Japan." Furthermore, they emphasized, "Our military, under a robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, is closely monitoring various developments in North Korea and maintains the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."
North Korea's ballistic missile provocation is interpreted as a reaction 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 for sanctions. In response, North Korea issued a statement the previous day under the name of Kim Euncheol, Vice Minister for U.S. Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declaring, "Since the U.S. administration has made clear its intention to remain hostile toward us to the end, we will also 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.
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