North Korea launched four missiles into the East Sea late on
the 27th, in a move likely taken in response to
ROK-U.S. joint military exercises currently underway in the South.
A Ministry of National Defense official explained shortly
after the incident, “Starting at 5:42pm this afternoon, North Korea launched
four projectiles, believed to be short-range missiles, in a northeasterly
direction into the sea from the Gitdaeryeong area of Gangwon Province.”
The official went on, “It is believed that these projectiles
had a range of more than 200km.” It remains unclear whether the missiles were
an improved version of North Korea’s KN-02 ground-to-ship missile, or one of Pyongyang’s stockpile of Soviet-era Scud missiles, which have a more extended range.
The United States reacted to the launches with a call for
restraint. In a regular State Department briefing, a spokesperson noted “urge[d]
North Korea to exercise restraint and take steps to improve its relations with
its neighbors.”
