October 3: North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday morning, South Korea’s military and Japan’s government said. The launch came from the Wonsan area at about 6:30 am local time, a day after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Seoul’s demand for an apology over a landmine blast that wounded South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Key highlights
- Launch: About 6:30 am on Saturday (3 am in India), from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
- Details withheld: South Korea’s military did not say how far the missile flew or what type it was, Reuters reported.
- Japan: The government issued an emergency alert and the coast guard told ships to take precautions.
- Seoul: The presidential office convened an emergency meeting of the national security council.
- Trigger: A row over a mine blast in the DMZ on September 21.
What Seoul and Tokyo said
“Our military detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea toward the East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to the AFP news agency. The military said it had raised its alert level in case of further launches and that “South Korea, the US, and Japan are maintaining a robust defence posture through close information sharing”.
Japan’s alert said: “North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile.” Its coast guard said the object appeared to have already come down, Reuters reported.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has continued to call for dialogue despite the tension, AFP said.
The row over the DMZ blast
On September 21, South Korean soldiers on a reconnaissance mission inside the four-kilometre-wide DMZ were wounded by landmines. Seoul and the UN Command concluded that the mines had been laid by North Korea. AFP put the number of wounded at three, while Reuters said two. We reported Seoul’s accusation last week.
South Korea demanded an apology. On Friday, Kim Yo Jong rejected it. She called the demand “utterly pathetic”, according to Al Jazeera, and dismissed Seoul’s proposals for talks as a “wild dream”, AFP reported. She said the North intends a permanent separation from the South.
Part of a wider pattern
North Korea has formally dropped unification as a national goal and now calls South Korea its “primary foe”, Reuters noted. Al Jazeera listed hypersonic missile tests, live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship among Pyongyang’s recent military moves.
The launch also follows North Korea’s statement at the United Nations that its status as a nuclear-armed state is “irreversible”. Last month South Korea proposed a step-by-step path to denuclearisation.
What to watch
- Whether South Korea or Japan release flight data that identifies the type of missile.
- Whether North Korean state media describes the launch, which it often does the following day.
- Any further launches. Seoul’s military says it is watching for them.
Sources
- Reuters via ThePrint: North Korea fires ballistic missile toward sea, South Korea and Japan say
- AFP via Malay Mail: North Korea launches missile after Seoul blames it for DMZ blast
- Al Jazeera: North Korea fires ballistic missile towards the sea, South Korea says
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
