Key Takeaways:
- Tensions between North Korea and South Korea escalated following fresh missile test by Kim Jong-un
- Both countries deployed military jets on each other's borders
- The United States has condemned North Korea's aggression against its neighbours
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — Tensions between North Korea and South Kora escalated after the countries flew warplanes near each other’s borders on Thursday. The incident comes hours after Kim Jong-un, the autocratic leader of North Korea, test-fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, antagonizing its neighbor. This development is seen as a clear act of defiance following US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to South Korea last week.
North Korea Test Launches Six Missiles in Two Weeks
Unwavered by the global condemnation, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has fired as many as six missiles in two weeks. According to the officials in Pyongyang, the recent tests are just “counteraction measures” to joint military drills between the United States and South Korea.
Earlier this week, the US called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after North Korea fired a missile over Japan.
Washington accused Russia and China of giving Kim Jong-un “blanket protection” by opposing further sanctions on the county. Meanwhile, Japan’s U.N. envoy Kimihiro Ishikane asked colleagues to act because the UN’s “credibility is at stake”.
South Korea’s envoy also urged the Security Council to take a firm stance against its neighbor’s actions.
“The Security Council must take decisive measures to send a unified and clear message to Pyongyang that its escalatory behavior must come to an end. In the meantime, the existing Security Council sanctions measures must be fully and faithfully implemented by all members of the United Nations, especially by council members,”
Japanese Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook told the council.
Meanwhile, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US. Ambassador to the UN also asked her colleagues to speak “with a unified voice” against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, (North Korea’s official name).
Kim Jong-un’s show of strength is partly because the United States, Japan, and South Korea have conducted regular joint exercises. Officials have widely seen this as being against North Korea, which has angered Kim Jong-un.
Having taken advantage of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, North Korea has reportedly fired over 40 ballistic weapons this year.
Recommended: ‘We must change course’: UN warns that the world is on the brink of recession
US Vice President Kamal Harris Defies North Korea
Through official visits to Japan and South Korea, US Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed her country’s support against North Korean aggression.
Among the places Harris visited was Korean Peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the buffer zone between North and South Korea. Harris also met Soth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in a show of solidarity with the country.
“I cannot state enough that the commitment of the United States to the defense of the Republic of Korea is iron-clad, and that we will do everything in our power to ensure that it has meaning in every way that the words suggest… It is an alliance that is strong and enduring,”
Harris said during her visit.
While the recent tensions, fortunately, ended without any escalation or losses, the peace looks fragile. Experts believe Kim Jong Un is preparing to conduct a seventh Nuclear test by the end of 2022. Whether that will come to pass is early to say.
Meanwhile, click here to find out the best practices to protect your tokens from crypto hackers.
