N. Korea fires off 2 more short-range ballistic missiles after US carrier enters Korean waters

Posted on : 2023-03-28 17:04 KST Modified on : 2023-03-28 17:04 KST
The move appears to be in response to ongoing joint South Korea-US military drills
From left to right the Aegis-equipped USS Wayne E. Meyer guided missile destroyer, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the Aegis-equipped ROKS Sejong the Great destroyer, and the USS Decatur destroyer take part in maritime joint drills in the waters south of Jeju Island on March 27. (courtesy of the ROK Navy)
From left to right the Aegis-equipped USS Wayne E. Meyer guided missile destroyer, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the Aegis-equipped ROKS Sejong the Great destroyer, and the USS Decatur destroyer take part in maritime joint drills in the waters south of Jeju Island on March 27. (courtesy of the ROK Navy)

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off its eastern coast on Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. The show of force came four days after Pyongyang tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone last week.

The same day, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz took part in maritime exercises held by South Korea and the US in international waters south of Jeju Island.

“We detected two short-range ballistic missiles being launched toward the East Sea from the area of Chunghwa County, in North Hwanghae Province, between 7:47 am and 8 am on Monday. The two ballistic missiles both flew for 370 kilometers before landing in the East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs said.

North Korea has launched a series of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles since the beginning of March in response to the US and South Korea’s joint exercises known as the Freedom Shield drills.

“After our foes were stupefied by the news of our launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM, our virtual comprehensive tactical exercises for a nuclear counterattack made them once again tremble in fear. Several days later, our new underwater attack drone and our strategic cruise missiles released a veritable tidal wave of terror in our foes’ stronghold,” North Korea’s state-run newspaper the Rodong Sinmun said Monday.

“After considering expert opinion and the analysis of the South Korean and American governments, we are weighing the possibility that [North Korea’s] claims were exaggerated or fabricated,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the nuclear-capable underwater attack drone.

“While there are indications that North Korea has been developing unmanned underwater vehicles, our assessment is that development is still at the initial stage.”

Freedom Shield, a command post exercise based on computer simulations, wrapped up on Thursday, but the USS Nimitz will remain near the Korean Peninsula and South Korea and the US will continue joint amphibious exercises, called Ssangyong (“double dragons”), at the division level until the beginning of April.

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said that Carrier Strike Group 11, led by the USS Nimitz, will put in at Busan Naval Base on Tuesday morning to promote friendly cooperation between the two countries and to strengthen their joint defensive posture to mark the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance.

On Monday, before arriving at the port, Carrier Strike Group 11 conducted joint maritime exercises in the waters south of Jeju Island alongside Aegis-equipped destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great and destroyer ROKS Choe Yeong from the South Korean Navy. The ships drilled aircraft carrier escort duties and air defense.

Along with the USS Nimitz, Carrier Strike Group 11 is composed of the cruiser USS Bunker Hill and the destroyers USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur, all of which are equipped with the Aegis guided missile system.

The last time a US aircraft carrier visited South Korea was six months ago, on Sept. 22, 2022, when the USS Ronald Reagan paid a visit. The carrier’s visit was arranged to carry out an agreement reached by the two countries during their 54th Security Consultative Meeting in November 2022 and a meeting between top defense officials on Jan. 31 to “deploy United States strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in a timely and coordinated manner” and to take action on extended deterrence, South Korea’s Defense Ministry explained.

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter; Shin Hyeong-cheol, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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