Starting on September 25th, North Korea has launched a series of ballistic missiles into the Pacific Ocean as a show of force.|
This came in response to the arrival of the United States aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan into South Korea for a series of joint naval exercises.
While most missiles landed in waters surrounding North Korea, one missile was launched on October 4th over the nation of Japan, prompting the Japanese government to warn their citizens to take shelter.
The missile then landed in the Pacific, three thousand kilometers from Japan.
Recent North Korean state media has said that the missile launches are to show off North Korea’s abilities to destroy American and South Korean targets should they invade the nation.
On October 5th, South Korea launched missiles of their own, one of which failed at launch and damaged a South Korean military base. There were no injuries.
North Korea has increased missile launches since 2019 after failed talks of North Korean nuclear disarmament in exchange for lifted economic sanctions from the United States and its allies.
Though North Korea hasn’t tested its nuclear weapons since 2017, experts and world leaders fear that the recent escalation may include such tests. Last month, North Korea changed its laws so that nuclear strikes can be launched preemptively, even if conventional weapons are used against them.
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has called for North Korea’s transformation into a nuclear state to be irreversible.
