The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-26)

A14 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.THURSDAY, MAY 26 , 2022

Japan’s Defense Ministry said it

detected at least two ballistic mis-

siles from North Korea and was

investigating possibilities of addi-

tional launches.

Japanese Defense Minister No-

buo Kishi condemned the North’s

missile launch as “clearly provoca-

tive, absolutely unacceptable.” He

noted it came on the heels of the

U.S. president’s meeting with

Asian allies and member nations

of the Indo-Pacific coalition

known as the Quad.

“Even under a situation where

covid-19 is spreading, North Ko-

rea continues to focus on nuclear

and missile developments, with-

out regard for the lives and liveli-

hoods of the citizens,” he told re-

porters Wednesday. The two mis-

siles landed in the sea outside

Japan’s exclusive economic zone,

according to the Japanese coast

guard.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony

Blinken talked to his South Ko-

rean and Japanese counterparts

on Wednesday, agreeing to work

closely with them in line with U.N.

Security Council resolutions.

Wednesday’s launch marks

North Korea’s 17th known weap-

ons test this year, an unprecedent-

ed flurry. Pyongyang has been us-

ing the tests to diversify and ex-

pand its arsenal as part of leader

Kim Jong Un’s five-year plan to

expand the country’s military ca-

pabilities. Its last known weapons

test was on May 12, when it fired

three short-range ballistic mis-

siles toward the sea.

That test came just hours after

North Korea reported its first cor-

onavirus outbreak and called it

“the most serious national emer-

gency.” The largely unvaccinated

country ordered a nationwide

lockdown and mobilized its army

to distribute covid-19 medica-

tions.

Just 10 days after reporting the

country’s first outbreak, however,

the North Korean state media

shifted its tone on the pandemic,

boasting about progress in its re-

sponse. During his trip to South

Korea, Biden, along with South

Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol,

expressed willingness to provide

coronavirus aid to North Korea,

but Pyongyang has not responded

to the offer.

U.S. and South Korean officials

assessed that North Korea, de-

spite the virus outbreak, could

conduct a nuclear test or launch a

long-range missile around the

time of Biden’s five-day Asia trip

that concluded Tuesday.

Biden told reporters on Sunday

in South Korea that he was “not

concerned” about a potential

weapons test from North Korea.

“We are prepared for anything

North Korea does. We’ve thought

through how we would respond to

whatever they do,” he said.

North Korea may react angrily

to Biden’s and Yoon’s recent prom-

ises to step up allied deterrence

against North Korea’s nuclear ar-

senal, which Pyongyang says is

necessary to protect itself from

American threats. A future expan-

sion of U.S.-South Korea military

exercises could dial up regional

tensions, experts said. While the

two allies say the drills are defen-

sive in nature, Pyongyang called

them preparation for an invasion.

The U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific

Command said in a statement that

Wednesday’s missile launch

“highlights the destabilizing im-

pact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons

program.”

Inuma reported from Tokyo.

AHN YOUNG-JOON/ASSOCIATED PRESS

U.S. troops are seen Wednesday i n Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea. The North t est-launched a suspected

intercontinental ballistic missile and two shorter-range weapons into the sea Wednesday, South Korea said.

BY MIN JOO KIM

AND JULIA MIO INUMA

seoul — North Korea launched
three ballistic missiles, including
a suspected intercontinental one,
off its east coast on Wednesday,
just hours after President Biden
wrapped up his trip to Asia where
he discussed a response to the
security threats posed by the
North.
South Korea also detected prep-
arations for a nuclear test — which
would be the first since 2017 —
with the testing of a detonation
device, said deputy national secu-
rity adviser Kim Tae-hyo. “It is
unlikely that a nuclear test will
happen in a day or two, but after
that, there is enough possibility,”
he told reporters.
North Korea’s launch of an
ICBM that can potentially reach
the U.S. mainland is considered a
red line by Washington and its
allies monitoring the North’s mili-
tary actions.
The launches come just four
days after Biden and his South
Korean counterpart held a sum-
mit meeting in Seoul and agreed
to consider expanded military ex-
ercises to counter North Korea’s
nuclear threats.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of
Staff said the missiles lifted off
from Pyongyang’s Sunan area,
where North Korea’s main inter-
national airport is located. The
three missiles were fired one after
another over less than an hour
starting at 6 a.m. local time.
The first missile, which ap-
peared to be an ICBM, flew about
224 miles at a maximum altitude
of about 335 miles, according to
the joint chiefs — far less than past
ICBM tests, including one in
March that flew 10 times higher.

South Korea’s Kim said

Wednesday’s test could have in-

volved Hwasong-17, North Korea’s

largest known intercontinental

ballistic missile, which was show-

cased in a military parade in

Pyongyang last month.

The second missile is thought

to have failed midair, while the

third one appeared to be a short-

range missile and flew about 472

miles and reached a height of 37

miles.

The South Korean government

condemned the North’s launch as

“a serious provocation that threat-

ens peace on the Korean Peninsu-

la and the international commu-

nity.”

“North Korea’s continued prov-

ocations cannot but result in a

stronger and quicker allied deter-

rence from the U.S. and South

Korea,” the presidential office said

in a statement. “It will only lead to

North Korea’s international isola-

tion.”

In response to the launch, the

militaries of the United States and

South Korea conducted a live-fire

exercise involving their own mis-

sile systems “to demonstrate the

ability of the combined ROK-U.S.

force to respond quickly to crisis

events,” U.S. Forces Korea said in a

statement, using an abbreviation

for the Republic of Korea, the for-

mal name of South Korea.

South Korea’s air force conduct-

ed an “elephant walk” training

with fighter planes the day before

in preparation for a possible prov-

ocation by North Korea, the joint

chiefs said. Elephant walking is a

process that allows many planes

to take off in close succession.

White House national security

adviser Jake Sullivan and his

South Korean counterpart, Kim

Sung-han, “condemned the

DPRK’s destabilizing ballistic mis-

sile tests and committed to contin-

ue building on their close coordi-

nation,” according to a readout of

their call on Wednesday. DPRK is

an abbreviation of North Korea’s

formal name, the Democratic Peo-

ple’s Republic of Korea.

North Korea fires

suspected ICBM

after Biden’s trip

Hours before test, he

wrapped up Asia visit

meant to strengthen ties

Thursday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m.

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