S. Korean military already warned previous day of potential SLBM provocation
Sunday, September 25, 2022
North Korea just test-fired an “unidentified ballistic missile” into the East Sea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced early Sunday morning.
It is supposed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), as it came just one day after the news reports that South Korea’s military spotted activities presumed to be preparations for a missile launch in Sinpo, northeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula.
It has yet to be confirmed by authorities whether it was an SLBM or another type of missile. On May 7, the North fired what was presumed to be a “mini-SLMB” from Sinpo.
Pyeongyang’s latest military provocation comes as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to make a visit to Seoul next week, where she would meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss North Korean affairs and economic security.
South Korean officials warned of further provocations from the North such as a nuclear test, which would be the first of its case since September 2017, according to local news reports.
Earlier this week, nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan and other warships came to Busan, the southeastern port city some 390 kilometers from Seoul, for joint military drills with the South Korean Navy near the peninsula.
Seoul said it is aimed at “reinforcing deterrence against North Korea’s evolving military threats,” while Pyeongyang claimed that it would not give up nuclear capability to protect its regime.