North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, days after Seoul demanded an apology over a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers.
The launch came after Pyongyang rejected Seoul’s accusations over last month’s blast and dismissed calls for dialogue. North Korea on Friday described South Korea as “despicable” and denied responsibility for the explosion.
Missile Launch Detected
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
The missile travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles), according to the military.
“South Korea, the US, and Japan are maintaining a robust defense posture through close information sharing regarding North Korean ballistic missiles,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The latest launch followed a sharp exchange between the two Koreas over the DMZ explosion.
Dispute Over DMZ Explosion
South Korea and the US-led United Nations Command concluded that last month’s explosion inside the DMZ was caused by North Korean mines placed on the South Korean side of the border.
The blast injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul’s Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the mines were believed to have been laid as part of North Korea’s efforts to strengthen its border fortifications.
North Korea has been laying mines and constructing anti-tank barriers along the frontier as Pyongyang moves to reinforce the border. Leader Kim Jong Un designated South Korea as his country’s “principal enemy” in 2024.
South Korea’s military demanded an apology from Pyongyang earlier this week over the incident.
Kim Yo Jong Rejects Seoul’s Overture
Despite the military’s demand, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Pyongyang on Thursday to return to dialogue.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the overture, calling Seoul “really despicable” and again denying that North Korea was responsible for the explosions.
She described Lee’s call for dialogue as “the climax of the farce that everyone should watch” and said Seoul’s demand for an apology was “quite ridiculous.”
Kim also warned that North Korea was “ready for anything” Seoul might do in response to the mine blast.
On Friday, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young proposed talks with Pyongyang on border-related issues. Kim Yo Jong dismissed the proposal as a “wild dream and unilateral jargon.”
Analysts See Missile Launch as Show of Force
Analysts said the missile launch could be interpreted as a show of force and a rejection of Seoul’s recent diplomatic outreach.
“Seoul called for easing tensions, but Pyongyang answered by escalating them,” Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.
He said the launch signalled that North Korea was pursuing confrontation despite Seoul’s efforts to improve ties.
South Korea’s defence minister had earlier warned that the military had “a range of necessary measures at our disposal” and would implement them in stages in response to the DMZ incident.
US Talks Add to Seoul’s Concerns
The latest tensions come as US President Donald Trump has renewed overtures toward Pyongyang, raising concerns in Seoul that South Korea could be sidelined if Washington and North Korea resume nuclear negotiations.
South Korea’s opposition People Power Party also criticised President Lee on Friday, accusing his government of failing to respond strongly enough to North Korea over the DMZ incident.
The party said South Korean soldiers had been injured and that Seoul had received neither an apology nor an explanation from Pyongyang.
The latest missile launch adds another layer of tension to an already strained relationship between the two Koreas, even as Seoul’s civilian leadership continues to call for dialogue.
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