North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the 27th. It is the second ballistic missile provocation by North Korea this year.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that "the military detected several unidentified ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea from an area north of Pyongyang around 3:50 p.m." The missiles flew 350 km before impact. South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing the exact specifications. The JCS strengthened its surveillance and readiness posture in preparation for additional launches by North Korea. A JCS official said, "We are closely sharing information on North Korea's ballistic missiles with the United States and Japan," adding, "We will maintain full readiness."
Japan's NHK and other media reported that North Korea launched ballistic missiles twice that day and that they were believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
This is North Korea's second ballistic missile launch this year. Inside and outside the military, the view is that it aims to show its presence ahead of the 9th Labor Party congress to be held next month. In particular, as Elbridge Colby, U.S. Vice Minister for policy at the Department of War (Ministry of National Defense), was visiting Korea and Japan, North Korea launched the missiles. Observers said it was a show of force toward the United States. Vice Minister Colby visited Korea on the 25th, held talks with Minister Ahn Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense, and left for Japan that day.
Earlier, on the 4th, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea. The missiles flew about 900 km before impact, and experts assessed that it was likely a test launch to verify the maximum range of the hypersonic short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) "Hwasong-11ma." By securing a range of about 900 km through this, North Korea showed it could directly strike Japan. North Korea unveiled the Hwasong-11ma at a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Labor Party's founding last year.