North Korean military fires missiles towards Sea of Japan

Launches carried out from Hamgyong province

On the morning of 4 November, North Korea launched several missiles that travelled towards the Sea of Japan. This was reported by South Korean agency Yonhap, citing an official statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The military command clarified that the launches took place from the territory of the Songdok district in Hamgyong province. Currently, South Korean and US military experts are jointly studying the technical characteristics of the weapons used.

Assessment of range and weapon type

Preliminary data indicates that the missiles covered a distance of less than 300 kilometres. JCS representatives assume that these are short-range ballistic missiles.

Shin Dong-woo, Secretary-General of the Korea Forum on Defence and Security, expressed the view that this could have been a Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile of the "ground-to-ground" class.

Reaction from South Korea and the US

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasised that they are continuing to monitor North Korean activities jointly with the US. Military leadership confirmed that it maintains readiness to respond effectively to possible provocations.

If the assumptions regarding the type of missiles are confirmed, this incident will be the third ballistic missile launch by North Korea within the last week.