North Korea tested Japan’s resolve Tuesday with a pair of ballistic missile firings aimed at the Sea of Japan, provoking an instant and forceful retort from Tokyo. The episode revives specters of ballistic brinkmanship in the region.
Defense radars clocked the missiles’ journeys: one soared 80 km up, traversing 350 km from a northern Pyongyang launch site at 3:50 PM. They plummeted harmlessly outside protected zones, officials reported.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba rallied resources for threat evaluation, prioritizing sea and sky security. Japan’s protest was unambiguous, branding the launch a perilous escalation.
U.S. Korea Command affirmed ally defense pledges, noting synchronized monitoring with no acute risks identified. The stance reflects deepened trilateral bonds amid provocations.
Building on momentum, this caps December’s cruise missile spectacles in the Yellow Sea, clocked at 10,199-10,203 seconds of guided flight under Kim Jong Un’s watchful eye.
The supreme leader toured designs for an 8,700-ton nuclear missile sub, preaching perpetual atomic buildup. Propaganda hailed the tests’ success in combat simulation.
Such displays counter perceived aggressions from U.S.-ROK exercises, analysts posit. Tokyo ramps up intercepts while lobbying for sanctions reinforcement.
As global eyes turn eastward, the onus falls on diplomacy to temper North Korea’s arsenal ambitions and foster stability.