Seoul and Washington accuse North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia.
Seoul:
North Korea launched several cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, in the latest in a series of weapons tests this year.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement: “At around 09:00 (1200 GMT) today, our military detected several unidentified cruise missiles in the waters northeast of Wonsan, and South Korean and US intelligence agencies are conducting detailed analysis. “
It added that it was “increasing surveillance and vigilance and paying close attention to any additional signs and activities from North Korea”.
Earlier this week, North Korea announced it had tested a new control system for its multiple rocket launchers, which it said would play a “greater” role on the battlefield.
So far this year, Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea his country’s “main enemy,” abandoned institutions dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over territorial incursions of “even 0.001 mm.”
Pyongyang has also been stepping up weapons testing, including tests of an “underwater nuclear weapons system” and the launch of solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missiles.
It also launched a series of cruise missiles, prompting speculation among experts that it was testing the weapons before shipping them to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened ties in recent months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un making a rare visit to Russia in September to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Seoul and Washington accuse North Korea of providing weapons to Russia in exchange for Moscow’s technical support for Kim Jong Un’s nascent satellite program, which would violate a range of United Nations sanctions against both regimes.
Unlike ballistic missiles, current U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang do not ban the testing of cruise missiles.
Cruise missiles tend to be jet-propelled and fly at lower altitudes than more advanced ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept.
“The End” of South Korea
Leader Kim Jong Un reiterated on Friday that Pyongyang will not hesitate to “end” South Korea if it is attacked, calling Seoul the North’s “most dangerous, number one enemy and eternal enemy.”
In January, North Korea fired artillery fire near two islands on the South Korean border, prompting South Korea to conduct live-fire drills and order residents to evacuate.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol vowed that South Korea would respond strongly if Pyongyang launched an attack and called on the South Korean military to “act first and report later” when provoked.
Since taking office in 2022, the hawkish Mr. Yoon has stepped up defense cooperation with the United States and Japan, including expanding joint exercises to counter Pyongyang’s growing threat.
As Pyongyang moves closer to Moscow in areas other than defense, a group of Russian tourists arrived in North Korea on Friday for a four-day visit, the first known foreign tour group since before the 2020 pandemic-related border closures .
Travel to Europe and the United States has become more difficult for Russians since sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also visited Pyongyang last year, said he could recommend North Korea as a tourist destination, TASS reported.
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