North Korea Fires Three Rodong Missiles into East Sea
According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea fired three mid-range Rodong missiles towards Japan in an apparent show of power and force as the Group 20 (G-20) Summit meeting was held in China.
Based on an article from the Korea JoongAng Daily, the missiles were fired at around 12:14 in the afternoon toward the East Sea from western Hwangju County in North Hwanghae Province.
Military authorities assumed that the three intermediate-range Rodong missiles have a range of up to 1,300 kilometers (808 miles).
A JCS official said, "North Korea's missiles flew around 1,000 kilometers and landed in Japan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ)." the official also said that the United States and South Korean officials are closely working together to examine the missile launches of North Korea.
The latest missile launch from the North comes just 12 days after it fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that flew an estimated 500 kilometers eastward on July 24 and landed in waters in Japan's territory. It also coincides with the G-20 summit where leaders of different nations gather for a two-day forum in Hangzhou, China. The leaders include those from South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia, and China - all members to the long-stalled six-party talks to denuclearize North Korea.
It is believed that the North fired the Rodong missile as the bilateral talks between South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up. The missile launches also came before North Korea's commemoration of the founding of the country on September 9, 1948, on Friday. North Korea's ruling Workers' Party will have its 71st anniversary on October 10. Last year, a grand military parade was held to mark the occasion.
The JCS official added, "North Korea's ballistic missile launches again violate UN Security Council resolutions. It seems to be displaying its nuclear and missile capabilities for the G-20 leader's summit and the North Korean government's founding day, and is a part of its show of force to continue the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula."
The official also mentioned that South Korea is at a "full defense posture" against the North's nuclear threats.
