The DPRK made a highly-visible show of force Sunday when it fired a short-range ballistic missile on the 12th anniversary of the death of ex-leader Kim Jong Il.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the incident shortly after the missile’s launch at about 10:38 pm. Although South Korean National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo had recently speculated the North could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in the coming days, the projectile was confirmed as a short-range variety.
The missile reportedly flew about 570 kilometers before landing in the sea.
“While elevating our alert readiness, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture by closely sharing data on the 'North Korean ballistic missile' with the United States and Japan,” said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement.
Seoul is working with the US and Japan to launch a system by the end of the year to share data on the North’s missile launches.
Meanwhile, the DPRK’s defense ministry released a statement slamming the recent Nuclear Consultative Group meeting held between South Korea and the United States, calling it “an open declaration on nuclear confrontation.
“The hostile forces'... attempt to use armed forces against the DPRK will face a preemptive and deadly counteraction,” read the missive, which denounced the US’ sending of military assets to the Korean Peninsula this year.
The United States has increased their presence in the region recently under the pretext of countering China as well as the DPRK. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has condemned the actions as preparation for another invasion of the North.
Launched in 1950, the Korean War saw elements in the South join with the United States to wreak devastation on the North. The war led to widespread destruction in modern-day North Korea.
“We went over there and fought the war and eventually burned down every town in North Korea anyway, some way or another,” recalled the military leader. “Over a period of three years or so, we killed off, what, 20 percent of the population?”
The war led to the balkanization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting hostility from the DPRK towards the United States. A dictatorship endured in the South until the late 1980s. North Korean leadership has consistently proclaimed their desire for reunification with the South although deep divisions remain between the regimes governing on each side of the 38th parallel.