South Korea Reports Ballistic Missile Launches from North Korea

According to reports from South Korea, North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday morning. The South Korean military's General Staff announced the detection of several projectiles, believed to be short-range missiles. Initially, there had been references to an 'unknown' missile heading toward the East Sea, a term commonly used in South Korea for the body of water also known as the Japan Sea.

The missiles were reportedly fired from Wonsan, a city on North Korea's eastern coast, and had a range of up to 800 kilometers. South Korea has shared these findings with the United States and Japan.

This missile launch follows North Korea's recent unveiling of a new warship capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The Choe Hyon destroyer, weighing 5,000 tons, is reportedly able to accommodate two tactical short-range nuclear missiles.

North Korea's ballistic missile program is prohibited under United Nations Security Council resolutions, yet the regime in Pyongyang has consistently advanced the development of missiles across various ranges in recent years. In March, North Korea conducted multiple ballistic missile tests, simultaneously accusing South Korea and the United States of conducting military exercises that it deemed dangerous and provocative.

The relationship between North and South Korea is currently at a low point. In early April, South Korea's military reported having fired warning shots after ten North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified and monitored border between the two nations.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high due to ongoing missile tests and threats from the isolated communist regime in the North. More than seven decades after the end of the Korean War, the two nations are still technically at war, as the conflict from 1950 to 1953 concluded with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. The United States maintains a significant military presence in South Korea, with tens of thousands of troops stationed there for protection.