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On December 18, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launched two missiles in five hours. The first short-ranged missile was launched from the area of Pyongyang. It flew 570 km before falling into the Sea of Japan.
In several hours, the second intercontinental ballistic missile was launched to the waters of the Sea of Japan from the Sunan area in Pyongyang. According to the Japanese military, the intercontinental ballistic missile was in flight for 73 minutes and during this time covered a distance of 1, 000 km at a maximum flight altitude of 6, 000 km. The missile fell 250 km west of Hokkaido Island.
When launched on a normal trajectory, the rocket can fly more than 15,000 km, thus “covering” the entire territory of the United States, the Japanese military added.
The North Korea launched missiles in response to the approach of the US Navy submarine Missouri to the South Korean Naval Base Busan.
The DPRK Defense Ministry commented:
Warmongers from the United States and South Korea held the second meeting of the “Nuclear Advisory Group” in Washington on December 15. They revealed to the public that they will complete work on the “guidelines for the nuclear strategic plan, its implementation” and the creation of an “expanded deterrence system”; in August 2024, the parties will conduct a simulated nuclear operation during the large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise directed against the DPRK.
US and South Korean bandits maximized tensions on the Korean peninsula by their provocations against the DPRK at the end of the year. The US sent the Missouri submarine to the Korean Peninsula. The current situation forces the armed forces of the DPRK to make a choice in favor of offensive counteraction.
At the end of November, South Korea partially suspended the agreement on reducing military tensions with North Korea dated September 19, 2018. The reason for this was Pyongyang’s successful launch of the Mulligan-1 reconnaissance satellite.
