South Korea’s military reported a new North Korean ballistic missile launch from the Wonsan area toward the sea on October 3. Seoul increased surveillance and shared information with Washington and Tokyo. The test followed a dispute over a September border mine blast and came 13 days after two earlier short-range launches from the same area.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the sea on October 3. Wonsan is a city in North Korea. Seoul’s military said it detected the launch and directed attention to waters it calls the East Sea. The military’s initial announcement did not provide the missile’s flight characteristics.[1], [2]
The South Korean military increased surveillance for possible additional launches and maintained readiness. It said relevant information was shared with the United States and Japan. The latest test came 13 days after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on September 20, within hours of one another.[1]
The launch followed a mine blast on September 21 in the Demilitarized Zone, the border zone separating the two Koreas. Three South Korean soldiers were injured, two seriously, according to Yonhap. Seoul attributed the blast to North Korean mines, demanded an apology and urged Pyongyang to stop border fortification work. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, denied responsibility in statements on Wednesday and Friday.[1]
Kim also rejected South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s proposal for talks to clarify the Military Demarcation Line, the boundary between the two sides. Chung had linked the mine incident to the line’s fading visibility. The missile test occurred while those opposing statements over the border incident continued.[1]
