North Korea fires cruise missiles into Yellow Sea amid escalating tensions
6:46 AM EST, January 24, 2024
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the North Korean missile launch took place on Wednesday around 5 p.m. Eastern Time. However, they did not specify the number or type of missiles launched, stating that an analysis is still underway.
"Through enhanced surveillance and vigilance, our military is collaborating closely with the United States to monitor any further signs of North Korean provocations," announced the JCS.
The Yonhap agency reports that the missiles were launched in a circular trajectory above waters west of Pyongyang, North Korea's capital.
"The reach was not short, and we believe they were launched from a land-based source. The missiles in question could be Hwasal-1 or -2 missiles, which are capable of carrying Hwasan-31 nuclear warheads," speculated one source.
North Korea's latest missile test
This marks the first missile test conducted by Pyongyang since September of the previous year, during which the North Korean military launched two long-range strategic cruise missiles with simulated nuclear warheads into the Yellow Sea.
Only two weeks before this, Pyongyang reported launching a medium-range, solid-fuel ballistic missile armed with a hypersonic warhead into the Sea of Japan. This action was met with condemnation by the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
Inter-Korean relations are currently at their lowest point in decades.
In late 2023, North Korean authorities declared an essential agreement with South Korea in 2018 void. This agreement was intended to de-escalate military tensions. Additionally, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave orders to expedite military preparations for a "war which could start at any moment."
