US, South Korea test-fire 8 missiles in response to North Korea's launches: Reports
Jun 05, 2022
Seoul [South Korea], June 6 : In response to North Korea's latest missile launches, South Korea and the United States test-fired eight missiles on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency.
Yonhap said citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday morning that the missiles were test-fired "at various targets."
"The South Korea-US combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the news agency cited JCS statement.
"Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns," it added.
Seoul officials have warned that Pyongyang's military provocations will be met with "corresponding" reactions.
Shortly after the North's launch of three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on May 25, the South and the US conducted combined missile launches in their first such joint move since 2017, the media report stated.
Yesterday Pyongyang test-fired a total of eight short-range ballistic missiles.
Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential.
Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests. During his 10-year tenure, his father Kim Jong Il carried out 16 missile launches and two nuclear tests, Sputnik News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, leaders during the QUAD summit in Tokyo last month, had condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" ballistic missile launches and called on the international community to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
"We condemn North Korea's destabilizing ballistic missile development and launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile tests, in violation of UNSCRs, and call on the international community to fully implement these resolutions. We urge North Korea to abide by all of its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from provocations, and engage in substantive dialogue," said the joint statement by QUAD Leader following the summit that was hosted by Japan in Tokyo.