The US and South Korean response to Kim Jong-un risks disaster. A defective South Korean ballistic missile exploded and fell to the ground during an exercise organized with the Americans in reaction to North Korea’s launch the day before of a ballistic missile that had flown over Japan and was capable of hitting territory. The blast caused panic among residents of the coastal city of Gangneung, worried that it was a North Korean attack hours before the army and government provided an explanation for the blast. In all, South Koreans and Americans launched six rockets into the Sea of Japan.
The missile, a short-range Hyumoo-2, landed inside an air base on the outskirts of Gangneung, considered crucial for preemptive and response strategies against Pyongyang. The South Korean general staff said there were no casualties and that the accident did not involve civilian structures.
The US and South Korean military are holding joint exercises to demonstrate their ability to stop a North Korean attack on South Korea. During Tuesday’s exercises they carried out bombing raids with F-15 attack jets using precision ammunition and launched 2 missiles each, therefore 4 in all, which are part of the army’s tactical missile system. The South Korean general staff said the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan would soon return to waters east of South Korea to demonstrate the allies’ “firm will” to counter the North’s continued provocations and threats. Despite the mistake, National Security Adviser spokesman John Kirby told CNN that the US-South Korea exercises “have shown that we have military readiness to respond to North Korean provocations if they come.”
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
