South Korea Accuses North Korea of Firing Missiles Into Sea of Japan

(NewsInsights.org) – Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula, but recent actions and rhetoric could signal a buildup toward an even more aggressive stance from North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported their northern neighbor fired a barrage of cruise missiles, the fifth so far this year, into the Sea of Japan on the morning of Wednesday, February 14.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim supervised the test of his nation’s new surface-to-sea cruise missiles, the Padasuri-6 class. The nation is seemingly moving toward strengthening Pyongyang’s ability to defend its contested marine boundaries in the Yellow Sea on the peninsula’s western shores. In a speech, Kim told his people he would consider South Korean or third-party intrusions into maritime waters that North Korea considers sovereign as an armed provocation, which could result in an armed response.

North Korea doesn’t recognize the Northern Limit Line, the Maritime Boundary that the UN drew at the cessation of hostilities between North and South Korea in 1953. Instead, Pyongyang has drawn a line that travels much farther south in the Yellow Sea, leaving a vast swath of maritime area in dispute.

Kim has also called for government officials to rewrite the nation’s constitution, abolish agencies focused on reunification, and abandon its goal of reconciliation with its southern neighbor. In January, he called South Korea the “principal enemy” and threatened to annihilate it with nuclear weapons if the country provoked him. He has announced his intention to occupy, subjugate, and reclaim the southern portion of the peninsula.

Experts consulted by the Japan Times noted that cruise missiles present unique dangers because they fly low, maneuver easily, and make detection or interception difficult via traditional defense systems. Yet, the UN hasn’t imposed a ban on cruise missile development for North Korea as it has for ballistic missiles.

South Korea’s JSC indicated it would continue working closely with US military and intelligence to monitor North Korea for signs of provocation or additional concerning signs of weapons development or testing.