North Korea Gives Show Of Force After U.N. Sanctions


Only hours after the United Nations levied sanctions against its nuclear testing, North Korea fired several short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast, likely as a show of force.

Military officials in South Korea are increasing their surveillance of their rowdy neighbor. NBC News spoke to military officials, who stated that:

“We have strengthened military preparedness and surveillance of North Korea’s missile launch situation.”

Moon Sang Gyun, defense spokesman of South Korea, said the origin of the projectiles was the town of Wonsan, located near the eastern coast. Officials are still trying to figure out what exactly the projectiles were. The Defense Ministry says they could be missiles, artillery, or rockets. An anonymous South Korean official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles flew 60-90 miles (100-150 kilometers).

The U.S. State Department said it is monitoring the situation following reports of the launches.

This is another gesture in a series of shows of force that North Korea has displayed, frequently after it receives negative international attention. Its fourth nuclear test occurred in January. North Korea said it had detonated a hydrogen bomb, though the claim is widely considered untrue. In February, it used a long-range rocket to put a satellite into orbit. The U.N. sees this as a cover for ballistic missile technology that has been internationally banned.

Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said this most recent gesture is to be interpreted as “low level.” Serious threats, he said, will likely not occur until May, when the Workers’ Party will hold a convention.

The show of force also occurred shortly after South Korea’s legislature passed a progressive human rights bill. The state media of North Korea has warned that “miserable ruin” will result if the bill takes effect. It sees criticism of its human rights as evidence of the U.S. leading a plot to topple its government.

 

Featured image by Bonhomme Richard, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.