▲ A news report on North Korea's missile launches is displayed on a TV screen in the waiting area of Seoul Station on October 29.
North Korea fired multiple missiles toward the East Sea on the morning of November 4, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced.
The JCS stated that it detected several missiles launched into the East Sea from around the Sondok area in South Hamgyong Province.
The military explained that South Korea and the United States closely monitored the launches from the preparation stage and detected and tracked the missiles immediately after liftoff.
The JCS also emphasized that while closely watching various North Korean movements under a steadfast South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, it maintains the capabilities and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation.
While the JCS typically detects North Korea's ballistic missile launches in real time and notifies the press immediately, it stated in today's notice that missiles, rather than ballistic missiles, were fired.
The military is currently conducting a detailed analysis of the projectile's specifications, flight range, and whether it was a ballistic missile.
The missile launches took place on November 3, local time, while voting was underway in the U.S. midterm elections, which serve as an interim assessment of the second year of Donald Trump's administration.
In particular, the provocation occurred shortly after Kim Yo-jong, director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, mentioned dialogue with the United States as an option in a statement protesting North Korea being identified as the culprit behind the Binance hacking incident.
In a statement issued on November 4, Kim stated toward the United States that "the options for safeguarding peace certainly include dialogue, but this does not necessarily equate to our national interests," raising speculation that Pyongyang might be leaving room for U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
However, in the same statement, Kim also signaled a hardline response, warning that "under the current reality where new records are being set in the execution of the U.S. hostile policy, it is only natural that new records should also be created in our reflexive response."
Earlier, on November 2, Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, also criticized combined and joint military drills conducted by South Korea and the U.S., as well as trilateral exercises including Japan. He signaled an intense military response, stating that "the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's national defense policy to accelerate and strengthen its nuclear war deterrence will remain unwavering."
If the latest launches are confirmed to be ballistic missiles, it would mark the third such launch in a week, following tests on October 29 and 31.
Including cruise missile launches, this marks Pyongyang's fourth show of force against South Korea over the past week.
On October 29, North Korea simultaneously fired about 10 rounds of 600 mm super-large multiple rocket launchers (KN-25), followed by a test fire of tactical ballistic missiles equipped with dispersing warheads on October 31.
On November 3, the North disclosed the results of an assessment test on the destructive power of cluster warheads for strategic cruise missiles and a vertical strike flight characteristics test targeting simulated sites, both conducted on November 2.
In reporting its recent test launches, North Korea has repeatedly showcased scenes of missiles striking targets simulating South Korean military installations—such as frontline guard posts, aircraft hangars, and artillery positions—blatantly revealing its intent to threaten South Korea.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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