On Monday, North Korea fired two more missiles from its east coast as Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned that North Korea would continue to use the Pacific as a “firing range” if threatened.
Japan’s coast guard said the two missiles landed in the sea just outside the country’s exclusive economic zone on February 20, as reported by Sky News. This most recent missile launch is the third conducted by North Korea since January, per The Telegraph.
“The unit set virtual targets 395 km and 337 km away from the launching points respectively and fired two shells of 600 mm multiple rocket launchers towards the East Sea,” the North Korean state news media, KCNA, reported, according to Reuters.
Just two days earlier, on Saturday, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, which landed in the sea, this time off Japan’s west coast.
Japan’s defense ministry said North Korea’s missile launches “threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community,” per Sky News.
In 2022, North Korea conducted what is thought to be its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test ever, per The Telegraph. The tests included the Hwasong-17, which could be capable of reaching the United States.
“Ms. Kim claimed a successful test on Saturday of the Hwasong-15, which has a similar striking range,” KCNA reported, per The Telegraph.
The state news agency further reported that Kim had cautioned the U.S. and South Korea, saying North Korea would deliver an “overwhelming response” to perceived “hostility,” according to The Telegraph.
The U.S. and South Korea held joint air exercises on Sunday in response to North Korea’s Saturday launch. They were also set to practice tabletop simulations of nuclear weapons throughout this week.
In a statement reported by KCNA on Monday, Kim, speaking in her official capacity as the deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said:
“I avail myself of this opportunity to make it a fait accompli once again that we closely examine the state of influence [that the U.S.’s presence in the Korean peninsula] gives to the security of our state and will take corresponding countermeasure if it is judged to cause any concern.
“The [frequency] of using the Pacific as our firing range depends on the character of the action of [the U.S.’s] forces.
“I confirm once again that there is no change in our will to make the top-class fanatics straining the situation pay dearly.”
KCNA reported that the “multiple rocket launcher mobilised in the firing [on Monday] … is a means of tactical nuclear weapon” that can paralyze an enemy airfield, per Sky News.