Around 4 a.m. local time (7 p.m. French time), on the night of July 21 to 22, North Korea fired several cruise missiles, according to the Yonhap agency, taking information from the Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff. These shots took place in the Yellow Sea, between the Korean peninsula and China. They come three days after those of two ballistic missiles, this time in the Sea of Japan, on the east coast.
“South Korean and US intelligence are analyzing the launches,” the news agency added. The new military test also comes two days after Pyongyang said a US nuclear submarine stopover in South Korea could “fall under the conditions of use” of its own atomic weapons.
These threats were followed by a response from Seoul the next day, reiterating that any such attack would mean the “end” of Kim Jong-un’s regime. The North Korean leader had described in 2022 as “irreversible” the status of nuclear power of his country and called for strengthening its arsenal, in particular in tactical nuclear weapons.
The latest cruise missile launches come as a US soldier, Travis King, entered North Korea from the south on Tuesday and is possibly being held there by authorities, according to the US military. The soldier, who was serving a prison sentence in South Korea, had to return to the United States to face disciplinary sanctions. North Korea did not hear from him on Thursday.
The South Korean, American and Japanese leaders are also due to meet in August in the United States to strengthen their cooperation in the face of growing threats from Pyongyang. During the same month, Washington and Seoul are due to begin their major annual joint military exercises, dubbed the Ulchi Freedom Shield. These exercises are very badly perceived by North Korea, which sees in them rehearsals for an invasion of its territory.