North Korea Launches Missile After U.S. Sub Arrives In South Korea
Dec. 17 (UPI) -- North Korea fired a long-range missile in response to the arrival of a U.S. submarine in South Korea, denouncing the ship's arrival as a show of force and "the first glimpse of nuclear war."
Sunday's missile launch coincided with the 12th anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong Il. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the plane was flying toward North Korea's east coast and crashed into the sea after flying about 350 miles.
The launch followed warnings from South Korea and Japan that the North was preparing to test nuclear weapons, including the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles. Korean officials said the launch also violated UN protocol.
"North Korea's recent ballistic missile launch is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolution banning the use of ballistic missile technology and scientific and technical cooperation," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Pyongyang defends all launches using its nuclear arsenal and sovereign right to self-defense.
Less than an hour after the start, state media published a statement from Pyongyang's defense ministry criticizing "military gangsters" in the US and South Korea for raising tensions with a "show of force" and plans for nuclear war.
The arrival of the USS Missouri nuclear submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan on Sunday raised tensions in the region and angered Pyongyang's military officials.
"The armed forces of the DPRK will completely neutralize the attempt of the US and its vassals to unleash a nuclear war and thus reliably ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," Pyongyang said, using the official's initials. The name of North Korea. , Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The announcement also followed a meeting of the US nuclear advisory panel late last week as a warning to the US and its allies to step up efforts to plan and show military force against North Korea.
Seoul said in a statement that the missile launch was immediately detected by the United States, Japan and South Korea, which work together to monitor military and other threats in the region. He added that real-time information on the launches of these missiles will be available later this year.
When the launch was announced on Sunday, Seoul said the missile fell into the ocean outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, NTV reported.
North Korea's latest provocation comes amid rising tensions after Pyongyang recently scrapped a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing conflict and preventing accidental border clashes.
Seoul partially suspended its participation in the agreement on November 21 in protest at the North's successful launch of its first military spy satellite.
According to the joint chiefs, North Korea's last launch, which took place on November 22, was a failure.
