North Korea fires short-range missiles ahead of Trump return

North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles from its east coast on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s military. This action represents Pyongyang’s latest demonstration of military capability, occurring just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The missiles traveled approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) after being launched around 09:30 am (0030 GMT) from Kanggye in Jagang Province, close to the border with China, as reported by Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS expressed strong condemnation of the missile launch, labeling it a blatant provocation that poses a significant threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. They cautioned North Korea against “misjudging” the current situation and promised to respond decisively to any further provocations. Acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, also denounced the launch as a breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions, asserting that Seoul would take firm action against North Korea’s provocations.

In response to the situation, South Korea’s national security council convened to assess the developments and committed to maintaining a robust defense posture. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, acknowledged the missile test and indicated that Tokyo is implementing all necessary measures to coordinate closely with Washington and Seoul, including the real-time exchange of missile warning information. This launch follows a recent test in which North Korea claimed to have successfully fired a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, marking its first missile activity since November 5.

The recent missile launch coincided with the visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to Seoul. During discussions in the South Korean capital, both South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Iwaya denounced North Korea’s nuclear and missile advancements, committing to enhance security collaboration. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Seoul the previous week, also emphasized the need to strengthen both bilateral and trilateral partnerships with Japan to effectively address the escalating military threats from Pyongyang.

The missile test on Tuesday took place just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who previously engaged in historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and has highlighted their personal connection. Following a briefing from the National Intelligence Service, South Korean lawmakers indicated that North Korea’s recent arms tests were partially intended to showcase its deterrent capabilities against the U.S. and to capture Trump’s attention, especially after pledging “the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction” during a significant policy meeting at the end of the previous year.