North Korea launches ballistic missiles as South Korean leader visits China

In the late hours of January 3, North Korea launched at least two ballistic missiles, coinciding with the start of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China.

South Korea’s military said the missiles were fired from the vicinity of Pyongyang at around 22:50 a.m. (GMT) and flew approximately 900 kilometres before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, Caliber.Az reports per Reuters.

Japanese authorities reported that at least two missiles travelled about 900 and 950 kilometres, respectively.

The timing of the launches appears politically significant. South Korean officials said peace on the Korean Peninsula would be among the key topics during President Lee’s visit to Beijing, which includes a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China is North Korea’s closest ally and has traditionally played a mediating role in regional diplomacy.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said the launches were likely intended as a signal to Beijing. “This is a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China’s stance on denuclearisation,” he said. 

South Korea and Japan swiftly condemned the missile launches. Seoul’s presidential office said it convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council and urged North Korea to halt what it called “provocative acts that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

The last time North Korea tested a ballistic missile was on November 7. On January 3, state media reported that Kim Jong Un had called for more than doubling the production capacity of tactical guided weapons during a visit to a munitions factory.

In recent weeks, Kim has stepped up inspections of weapons facilities, visited a nuclear-powered submarine, and overseen missile-related activities ahead of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea later this year, where major policy directions are expected to be outlined.

South Korea hopes China will play an active role in easing tensions on the peninsula. Lee’s security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, said Beijing was expected to contribute to promoting peace, without providing details. 

By Khagan Isayev