In what seems to be a ramping up of military tensions, North Korea has launched several cruise missiles towards the sea, west of the Korean Peninsula, reported the South Korean military on Saturday. This is the latest in a series of North Korea missile launches, fueling concerns about the reclusive nation’s nuclear and missile programs.
Timing of the North Korea Missile Launches
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missile launches began around 4 a.m. Saturday local time (1900 Friday GMT). The detection of these missiles marks a new escalation in military activities since North Korea’s previous missile launch on Wednesday.
On that occasion, North Korea initiated the firing of two ballistic missiles mere hours after a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) made a rare visit to South Korea. The back-to-back shows of force highlight the ongoing standoff between Pyongyang and Washington over the isolated nation’s contentious weapons programs.
North Korea’s Stance on US Military Deployment
In addition to these missile launches, North Korea issued a stark warning on Thursday. It stated that the deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers, bombers, or missile submarines in South Korea could potentially meet its criteria for the deployment of nuclear weapons.
