North Korea, US And South Korea Launch Eight Tactical Missiles

Illustration of the US Army and South Korean ATACMS MGM-140 and Hyunmoo-2 missile launch drills. (Wikimedia Commons/Sinthia Rosario)

JAKARTA - South Korea and the United States announced the firing of eight surface-to-surface missiles by their militaries off the east coast Monday, in response to North Korea's launch of a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

The move is a demonstration of capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes against North Korean missile launch sources or command and support centers, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted the South Korean military as saying.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office last month, has vowed to take a tougher line against North Korea. He also agreed with US President Joe Biden to step up joint military exercises and their joint deterrence posture, at a May summit in Seoul.

North Korea has carried out a series of missile launches this year, with President Yoon saying Pyongyang's missile and nuclear weapons programs have reached a level where they pose a threat to regional and world peace.

South Korea "will continue to build basic and practical security capabilities and deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," President Yoon said at an event for South Korea's Memorial Day.

The South Korean and United States militaries fired eight surface-to-surface missiles for about 10 minutes starting at 4:45 a.m. on Monday, in response to eight missiles fired by North Korea on Sunday.

An official from South Korea's Ministry of Defense confirmed eight Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) had been fired. The US Indo-Pacific Command said the drills included one US Army missile and seven from South Korea.

"The ROK-US Alliance remains committed to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific," it said in a statement, using the initials of South Korea's official name.

North Korea's short-range ballistic missile, which was fired seaward off its east coast on Sunday, was perhaps its largest single test and came a day after South Korea and the United States ended joint military exercises.

South Korea-US bilateral exercises engage an American aircraft carrier for the first time in more than four years. Japan and the United States also conducted joint military exercises on Sunday, in response to North Korea's latest missile test.

North Korea, weeks away from battling the first known COVID-19 outbreak, has criticized previous joint drills as an example of Washington's continued 'hostile policy' towards Pyongyang, despite its talk of diplomacy.

Yonhap, citing an unnamed source, said that North Korean fire on Sunday was launched from four locations, including Sunan in the capital, Pyongyang.

Separately, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul said South Korea's current missile defenses were insufficient to counter the North's growing threat.

"This requires not only further investment in hardware, but also a more layered approach coordinated with Japan, as well as diplomatic efforts with Beijing to de-escalate the dynamics of the arms race with Pyongyang," he said.

Last month North Korea fired three missiles, including one it considers its largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, after President Joe Biden ended an Asian trip to Japan and South Korea, where he approved new measures to deter the nuclear-armed nation.