북한, 미사일 발사로 사드 타격 능력 과시, 남남갈등 노려
North Korea has again fired ballistic missiles... three of them this time.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the missiles were launched in easterly direction from southern North Korea and flew hundreds of kilometers.
Just the latest in a series of missile launches in recent months, but the first since Seoul and Washington unveiled the location of the soon-to-be deployed THAAD missile defense system in South Korea -- which is why Seoul believes it's a new show of force by its northern neighbor.
Arirang's Connie Kim is monitoring the situation.
North Korea fired three ballistic missiles Tuesday morning in what appears to be a protest against the THAAD deployment, which is aimed at protecting South Korea from the North's missile provocations.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired the three missiles from North Hwanghae-do province between 5:45 a.m. and 6:40 a.m., South Korea time.
Two of the missiles flew between five hundred and six hundred kilometers before falling into the East Sea.
"The flight range of the ballistic missiles is enough to reach all of South Korea, including the southern port city of Busan."
The flight path of one missile is still being analyzed,... but a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said it is looking into whether the North intentionally shortened the range by launching the missile from a steep angle.
The missiles fired this morning are presumed to be Scud-class or intermediate-range Rodong missiles.
The launch comes after the North threatened a physical response as soon as the location of the THAAD unit deployment in South Korea was confirmed.
Seoul and Washington announced last Wednesday that they would deploy the missile defense system to Seongju, a sparsely populated county in the southern part of South Korea.
Experts are also seeing this provocation by Pyongyang as a means to create division within the South.
"The message North Korea is sending is that it will target the South if Seoul allows the THAAD system deployment. The launch was not aimed at testing the capabilities of a Scud or Rodong missile. It was done to threat the citizens in Seongju.
Military officials in Seoul say that when THAAD is deployed, it will create a multi-layered missile defense system capable of shooting down North Korea's Scud and Patriot missiles should they target the South.
"Many North Korea watchers predict Pyongyang will continue its protest against the THAAD deployment further raising tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Connie Kim, Arirang News."
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