Pyongyang fires missiles right before Kim meets Putin

North Korea on Wednesday launched two short-range ballistic missiles that can reach any part of South Korea around an hour before a highly watched summit talk with Russia. It is the first time that the regime carried out missile provocations with its leader Kim Jong Un abroad.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area, Pyongyang into the sea off its east coast around 11:43 to 11:53 a.m. on Wednesday, describing that each of the fired missiles, types of which, however, were not specified, flew around 650 km into the East Sea. It was also reported that they are assumed to be the Iskander-class KN-23 capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons and reaching the whole area of South Korea.

Pyongyang’s missile provocations came 11 days after it fired cruise missiles on Sept. 2. Also, the preceding ballistic missiles, subject to the UNSC’s sanctions against the regime, were launched 14 days earlier.

Many speculate why Kim ordered the launch while on his trip to Russia. Normally, Kim pushes the missile button on the site when the regime prepares for missile provocations, including ICBM testing. Former President of the Institute for National Unification Jeon Sung-hoon analyzed that the regime intended to impress the rest of the world with how firmly it would stand even if its leader were absent during wartime on the peninsula. In fact, North Korea’s nuclear force policy laws specify how to respond in the event that its leadership is removed, saying, “Military action is to be taken as planned to enable immediate nuclear strikes if the command and control system is put at risk by the enemies.”

As North Korea and Russia agreed to form an official military cooperative relationship at the summit meeting, thereby expecting South Korea, the United States, and Japan to tighten sanctions, there is a possibility that the regime will take military action on the sea by deploying the nuclear attack submarine named after Hero Kim Kun Ok that was disclosed in its launching ceremony last Wednesday. A related source to the South Korean military said, “We keep a close eye on North Korea as it may apply various tactics to execute surprise provocations on the ground, at sea, or in the air as a way of reacting against the rest of the world including South Korea and the United States.”


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com