North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards its east coast on Wednesday (8 April), South Korea’s military said, in a fresh show of force that underscored rising tensions despite brief signs of a possible thaw between the two sides.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said several short-range missiles were launched from near Wonsan at around 8:50 AM, flying approximately 700 kilometres. The launches followed a separate suspected ballistic missile fired a day earlier from near Pyongyang.
Officials in Seoul and Washington are conducting a detailed analysis, while South Korea convened an emergency National Security Council meeting, condemning the tests as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Japan also reacted cautiously, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirming the missiles did not enter Japanese waters or cause damage, but warning they posed a threat to regional security.
The launches mark North Korea’s fourth and fifth ballistic missile tests this year, continuing a pattern of weapons development that Pyongyang insists is part of its sovereign right to self-defence, despite international sanctions.
A day earlier, North Korea appeared to strike a softer tone, describing South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as “wise” for expressing regret over earlier drone incursions.
However, that perception quickly shifted. Senior Foreign Ministry official Jang Kum Chol dismissed any notion of improved ties, stating that South Korea would remain an “enemy state”.
“The identity of the ROK… can never change,” he said, reinforcing Pyongyang’s long-standing position.
In response, South Korea’s presidential Blue House said hostile rhetoric did “nothing to promote peace and stability” on the Korean peninsula, adding that it would continue pursuing dialogue and coexistence.
Analysts say the rapid shift in Pyongyang's approach highlights a deliberate strategy.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said North Korea moved swiftly to shut down “overly optimistic” interpretations while continuing missile launches to reinforce its deterrence.
The two Koreas remain technically at war, as the 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice agreement rather than a peace treaty.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 Se...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told ...
Hua Hong Semiconductor, China's second-largest contract chipmaker, is investing $2 billion to build a new fabrication plant in Wuxi, China as p...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 September.
From mounting concerns over record global debt levels to growing tensions over China's trade surplus and Russia's return to the negotiating table, this year's G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, highlighted the challenges confronting the global economy.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing into Ceuta, saying Spain has found no evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident.
Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service, PET, has warned that Russia is actively preparing sabotage operations against targets in the country, with defence companies supporting Ukraine seen as a particular focus.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to raise bilateral trade to $200 million within two years, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The latest escalation between the United States and Iran is being fought not only on the ground and at sea, but increasingly in the skies above the Gulf where a missile launch or intercepted drone can force an aircraft thousands of metres above the region to change course.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment