**Provocation Five Days After Launching ‘Hwasong-19’ ICBM**
North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) into the East Sea. This ballistic missile provocation comes five days after the Hwasong-19 ICBM launch on October 31. The provocation took place ahead of the U.S. presidential election, which started at 2 p.m. Korean time.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported, “Around 7:30 a.m. on the 5th, several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the vicinity of Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province, into the East Sea were detected and are under analysis.” They added, “We are sharing related information closely with U.S. and Japanese authorities while maintaining a state of readiness.” According to the Joint Chiefs, the ballistic missiles flew approximately 400 km.
Analysts suggest that North Korea launched these missiles before the U.S. election to assert its presence. Five days earlier, on October 31, North Korea captured attention by launching a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-19, which could potentially reach the U.S. mainland.
This latest launch is also seen as a response to the joint aerial drills by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. In response to North Korea’s Hwasong-19 launch, a joint exercise was conducted on November 3 with the participation of the U.S. strategic bomber B-1B east of Jeju Island. Historically, North Korea has strongly opposed the deployment of the B-1B, and this ballistic missile launch could be related to that.
The Presidential Office stated that a security situation review meeting was held, chaired by the Defense Secretary, to discuss measures concerning North Korea’s short-range ballistic missile launch.