North Korea fires ballistic missile amid DMZ mine dispute with Seoul
Pyongyang launched toward the East Sea a day after Kim Yo-jong rejected Seoul’s apology demand over mines South Korea says wounded three soldiers in the DMZ.
What we know: North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea — also known as the Sea of Japan — on Saturday morning, South Korea and Japan said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launch at about 6:30 a.m. from the Wonsan area; the missile flew more than 700 kilometers before landing at sea, Yonhap reported. The Guardian, citing Reuters, reported the same launch window and range of more than 700 km (434 miles). Seoul and Washington were analyzing the test for details, both outlets said.
Japan’s coast guard, citing the defense ministry, said the object may have been a ballistic missile and appeared to have come down, warning ships to take precautions, The Guardian reported. South Korea’s military said it heightened monitoring of further tests and would share intelligence with the United States and Japan. The South Korean presidential office’s national security council convened an emergency meeting Saturday to assess the situation, Reuters and Yonhap said.
Mine blast and Kim Yo-jong: The launch came a day after Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un, rejected Seoul’s demand for an apology over what South Korea says were North Korean mines that seriously wounded three South Korean soldiers on a reconnaissance mission inside the Demilitarized Zone. Yonhap said the Sept. 21 blast left three soldiers injured, two of them seriously, and that Seoul called the incident a “blatant violation” of the armistice agreement.
President Lee Jae Myung had urged Pyongyang on Thursday to return to dialogue even as the military sought an apology. Kim Yo-jong responded by calling Seoul “really despicable” and ridiculing Lee’s overture as “the climax of the farce that everyone should watch,” The Guardian reported. She also warned that Pyongyang was “ready for anything” Seoul might do over the mine blast — remarks followed the next morning by the missile launch.
Context: North Korea has launched missile tests on more than 10 occasions so far this year, some after joint South Korea–U.S. drills, The Guardian said. Yonhap noted Saturday’s flight came 13 days after two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on Sept. 20. A government source told Yonhap the latest missile appeared similar to an Aug. 12 launch and left open the possibility of a medium- or intermediate-range system flown on a reduced range; the military did not formally specify the type.
What this means: A fresh ballistic launch on the heels of the DMZ mine dispute hardens an already sharp inter-Korean standoff — with Seoul coordinating with allies while dialogue appeals from Lee meet public rejection from Kim Yo-jong.