North Korea launches short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea

On January 27, North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea’s military said, amid heightened regional attention ahead of Pyongyang’s anticipated ruling party congress.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from an area north of Pyongyang at around 3:50 p.m, Caliber.Az reports via South Korean media.

The missiles flew approximately 350 kilometres, according to the JCS, which added that South Korean and U.S. authorities are analysing the precise details of the launches.

“Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the U.S. and Japan sides amid a heightened surveillance posture against additional launches,” the JCS said.

The launch came as North Korea is widely expected to convene its first ruling party congress in five years early next month, during which it is expected to outline major policy directions on defence, diplomacy and the economy.

It also coincided with the conclusion of a three-day visit to South Korea by U.S. Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, who departed for Japan earlier in the day as part of his Asia trip.

During his visit, Colby met with senior South Korean officials, including the national security adviser and the ministers of defence and foreign affairs, to discuss alliance-related issues. These included Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and efforts to regain wartime operational control from Washington.

Colby’s trip followed the release of a new U.S. defence strategy last week, which called for South Korea to take a “primary” role in its own defence. The strategy described North Korea as posing a “direct military threat” to South Korea and Japan and stated that North Korea’s nuclear forces present a “clear and present” danger of a nuclear attack on the U.S. homeland.

Following the missile launch, U.S. Forces Korea said it was coordinating closely with allies.

“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defence of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region,” it said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev