North Korea launched ballistic missiles on Sunday, coinciding with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China, Pyongyang’s key ally, and just hours after the United States carried out an operation in Venezuela.
The missile launches, the country’s first in two months, have intensified global tensions following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Pyongyang strongly condemned the U.S. action, describing it as a “wild violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty” and highlighting what it called “the rogue and brutal nature of the United States.”
The missiles were fired from Pyongyang into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, signalling a warning to China over its engagement with South Korea and its stance on denuclearisation, analysts said.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Seoul’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, noted that North Korea also sought to distinguish itself from Venezuela as a nuclear-armed state prepared to respond with “aggressive deterrence.”
Observers said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, alarmed by the U.S. action in Venezuela, is demonstrating military strength ahead of the country’s Ninth Party Congress, which will outline major policy priorities. Recent weeks have seen Kim inspect weapons factories, a nuclear-powered submarine, and oversee missile tests. On Saturday, he called for more than doubling the production of tactical guided weapons.
Seoul and Tokyo condemned the missile tests. South Korea convened an emergency security meeting, urging North Korea to cease “provocative acts that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.” Japan lodged a formal protest, with Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi warning that the launches threaten regional and international security. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that the missiles posed no immediate threat to U.S. personnel or allies, while consultation with partners continues.
President Lee’s visit to China aims to encourage Beijing to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, although Pyongyang has largely ignored Lee’s outreach since he assumed office seven months ago.
Experts suggest the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping seeks to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula amid ongoing tensions.
