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| Indian Defense Minister Rajnat Singh (left) and Defense Minister Seo Wook are taking commemorative photos by bumping their arms before the opening ceremony of the’Korea-India Friendship Park’ held in New Delhi, India on the 26th of last month (local time). (Provided by the Ministry of Defense) © News1 |
On the 5th, Defense Minister Seo-wook had a time to discuss North Korea’s recent launch of short-range ballistic missiles with officials from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
On the 6th, a military official said that it was time for Secretary Seo, who had been away from the UAE and India for a tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 22-28 days last month, to organize reports so far. It wasn’t,” he said.
On the 25th of last month, when North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile, Secretary Seo was on a tour abroad. At that time, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles in succession around 7:6 am and 25 am at Yeonpo Airfield, Hamju-gun, South Hamgyeong Province.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced this at 7:25 a.m. 19 minutes after the first launch, and explained that the launch distance was 450 km. On the other hand, Japan’s Defense Ministry disseminated a warning about the estimated launch of ballistic missiles three minutes after the first launch, and pointed out the Korean military’s slow response. In addition, while Japan and the United States designated North Korea’s missiles as short-range ballistic missiles, the Joint Chiefs of Staff only commented that “we are putting weight on the possibility of being a ballistic missile.”
On the 26th, the day after the launch, North Korea named the missiles they shot as’new tactical guided missiles’. The weapon was found to be an improved version of the existing tactical guided missile (KN-23), which was called the’North Korean version of Iskander’.
In addition, as North Korea revealed that “two’new tactical guided missiles’ accurately hit the target of the East Sea, 600km away,” observations were made that the analysis of the specifications of the Joint Chiefs of Staff could have been wrong. It was also pointed out that the error was caused by the failure to detect the’pull-up operation’ of the North Korean missile.
In particular, there was a voice saying that North Korea admitted that it shot a ballistic missile by itself, referring to the’ballistic missile launch test conducted by the Defense Science Research Institute’ through a speech by Labor Vice President Kim Yeo-jeong.
However, the joint venture still only repeats the story of’possibility of a ballistic missile’ and’under analysis’, raising criticism as an attitude not to admit North Korea’s violation of the sanctions resolution on North Korea. North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles and aircraft using the technology is a violation of sanctions against North Korea resolved by the UN Security Council.