Misfired Missile Stirs Panic As South Korea And U.S. Conduct Drills In Response To North Korea

Topline

A South Korean ballistic missile crashed into the ground and exploded in the outskirts of the northeastern city of Gangneung in a failed launch on Tuesday night, as the country’s military conducted joint fire drills with the U.S. in response to a provocative North Korean missile launch that flew over Japan before crashing into the Pacific earlier this week.

Key Facts

The South Korean and U.S. military fired multiple missiles into the sea while their fighter jets dropped bombs over the Yellow Sea as a part of the live fire exercise, Reuters reported.

A Hyumoo-2 short-range ballistic missile fired by the South Korean military malfunctioned during the drill and exploded after crashing into an airforce base near Gangneung, according to the Associated Press.

South Korean military officials said the incident did not cause any injuries but the explosion and subsequent fire from the crashing missile triggered alarm among the residents of Gangneung, the report added.

The lack of an immediate official statement from the military led to speculation on social media that the explosion may have been a result of a plane crash.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, and its accompanying strike group will return to the East Sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, in what the South Korean military says is a “very unusual” move that projects resolve against Pyongyang’s recent provocation, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Chief Critic

South Korea’s principal opposition party, the Democratic Party, also heavily criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government, accusing it of creating a “security vacuum.” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo—a retired four-star South Korean Army general—told the press: “It’s a complete operation failure and there is a report that the military blocked fire officers dispatched to the scene from extinguishing the fire,” Yonhap reported.

What To Watch For

The incident has triggered calls for a thorough investigation with the ruling party lawmaker from Gangneung, Kwon Seong-dong, even criticizing the military for failing to issue an official statement about the incident and also not informing the locals in advance about the live fire drills. In its official statement, the Democratic Party said: “The military authorities should thoroughly investigate the cause of this accident, report it to the public, and promise to prevent a recurrence of such an accident again.”

Key Background

Early on Tuesday, North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that flew over Japan before falling into the Pacific Ocean in one of the most provocative missile tests carried out by the country. The trajectory of the missile raised alarm inside Japan with residents of two provinces being ordered to take shelter, while train services halted operations. The test triggered immediate condemnation from Japan, South Korea and the U.S. According to security experts, the missile used for the test was likely a longer-range variant of the Hwasong-12 IRBM which North Korea has claimed is capable of hitting the U.S. territory of Guam.

Further Reading

Seoul’s reprisal blows up after North Korean missile success (Associated Press)

South Korea, U.S. fire missiles into the sea to protest ‘reckless’ North Korea test (Reuters)