North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea early on the morning of the 26th, but it failed to complete a routine flight. This marks the third consecutive day of provocations following the scattering of propaganda balloons toward South Korea.
According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the South Korean military detected the missile launched from around Pyongyang into the East Sea at around 5:30 a.m. However, this missile is believed to have failed, and South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are currently analyzing further details.
So far, it’s understood that the missile flew approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) towards the uninhabited Al Island in the sea off North Hamgyong Province before exploding in mid-air and falling into the sea off Wonsan, Gangwon Province.
Notably, the South Korean military is considering the possibility that this missile was a medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) powered by a solid fuel propulsion system. The missile is believed to have been launched from a transporter erector launcher (TEL).
North Korea announced a successful test launch of a hypersonic medium- to long-range ballistic missile powered by a solid fuel propulsion system on January 15. It would be important to determine if this recent launch was similar. At that time, a ballistic missile was also launched near Pyongyang.
The last time North Korea launched a ballistic missile was about a month ago, on the 30th of last month, when it launched a 600mm caliber super-large multiple rocket launcher (KN-25).
North Korea also scattered hundreds of propaganda balloons toward South Korea for two consecutive nights. The South Korean Joint Chiefs will announce the exact number of balloons and other figures through the media later this morning.
Such complex provocations from North Korea are interpreted as protests against the leaflets from North Korean defector groups and the joint military exercises between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
The U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 9th Carrier Strike Group are scheduled to leave Busan Port today to conduct joint exercises with South Korean and Japanese naval forces soon.
Yesterday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol personally boarded the docked Roosevelt to demonstrate the robust ROK-US alliance with North Korea.
For the first time since the complete suspension of the 9/19 Inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement, our Marine Corps’ K-9 self-propelled guns and other live-fire training targeting the West Sea buffer zone are scheduled.
Yesterday, our army’s Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) K-239 Chunmoo live-fire training was also conducted.
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