North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles Again, Could Reach The United States' Mainland

North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles on Sunday (18/12) into its eastern waters. This is North Korea's first weapons experiment in a month.

"The South Korean military learned of the smuggling of two North Korean ballistic missiles from the northwestern Tongchangri region. Some of the missiles flew past the country towards its eastern waters," South Korea's Chief of Staff said in a statement.

The missile was fired about 50 minutes apart. South Korea's combination staff did not give further details, such as what type of weapons North Korea fired and the extent to which they flew.

The Chief of Staff explained that the South Korean military has strengthened its monitoring form and maintained preparations in strong coordination with the United States.

Japanese officials explained they witnessed two missile launches from North Korea. Japan's coast guard explained that missiles fired from North Korea crashed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Japan's top coast guard officials explained that the 2 missiles landed outside Japan's limited economic zone.

The Tongchangri region is home to North Korea's Sohae Satellite Smuggler. In these years, North Korea issued long-range satellite-carrying rockets. The UN called the smuggling a hidden test of ICBM or intercontinental missile technology.

On Thursday (12/15/2022) at the Sohae facility, North Korea conducted an experiment "high-thrust, high-thrust-fueled motor" for a new vital weapon.

Some experts explain that this method is a change that allows Korea Utata to have a more mobile weapon to find out the arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the plains of the United States (US). It is not yet known what the smuggling on Sunday occurred from the means of Sohae.

The smuggling on Sunday was North Korea's first public weapons experiment since the country issued a long-range Hwasong-17 ICBM capable of reaching all of the United States' homeland.

Earlier this year, North Korea conducted experiments on the smuggling of various other missiles at high speed. North Korea explained that testing its weapons as a self-defense treatment to deal with the United States-South Korea military exercises was widened and seen as an aggression exercise.

But some experts say North Korea is likely to use the combined South Korea-United States military exercises as an argument to raise weapons and increase its impact in future talks with Washington.