N.Korea Fires 2 Rockets In Direction of S.Korea as Tensions Escalate

(OurNationNews.com) North Korea, once again unheedful of the repercussions of its actions, finished another of its ballistic missile tests, firing off two short-range projectiles from its western coast.

The move comes on the heels of a recently concluded joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan, and the United States. South Korea, which aside from its neighbor to the north is surrounded by other ostensibly hostile territories, such as Russia and China, both of which have a largely positive relationship with South Korea’s communist counterpart. As such, the democratic country of over 51 million has sought to strengthen its ties with its allies such as the U.S. and Japan.

The joint military exercise, dubbed the “Freedom Edge”, spanned three days, and comprised activities such as surveillance drills, anti-submarine warfare, as well as simultaneous drills between naval and air forces aimed at bolstering a defensive response against ballistic missiles. The exercise is projected to continue and even expand in the coming years, is a direct response to North Korea’s increased weapons capabilities.

However, the most recent missile test was a dud, according to South Korean military officials. The first of the missiles flew around 370 miles, supposedly reaching North Korea’s eastern waters – an area the country’s military typically aims at during its missile tests. The second, however, reportedly fell well short of its intended target, crashing just 75 miles away from the firing site.

According to Lee Sung Joon, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second missile experienced an “abnormal flight”. There is the possibility that the missile exploded in midair, raining debris down on North Korea’s inland areas, possibly even on Pyongyang, the hermit country’s capital. South Korea has yet to confirm or disclose any additional details and additional analysis is underway.

North Korea has condemned the joint drill, accusing the three countries of attempting to set up an Asian version of NATO. North Korea also accused the U.S. of putting additional military pressure on Russia and of preparing to lay siege to China.