North Korea Fires Projectile Rockets Into East Sea

Today, North Korea fired three short-range projectiles into the waters off its east coast a South Korean defense official said.

According to The Korea Herald, the Defense Ministry stated in a press release,

“We are strengthening our readiness posture in case there are additional launches.”

The L.A. Times reports that South Korean military said the projectiles were launched at around 5 p.m. local time and landed in international waters about 120 miles off the coast without causing noticeable harm.

In an article by Yonap News, The United States is trying to determine the exact type of projectiles that North Korea launched into the sea off its east coast on Thursday to see if the firings are in violation of U.N. resolutions, according to the State Department.

Short-range test firings by North Korea aren’t unusual, but a barrage of missile and artillery tests earlier this year boosted animosity between the rival nations. The most recent launches occurred in March from North Korea’s port city of Wonsan, the same location of today’s projectile launch.

The launches in March were carried out during joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., a recurring event that typically raises inter-Korean tensions. Though Seoul and Washington say those exercises are defensive in nature, North Korea objects to them, describing them as rehearsal for invasion of its territory.

U.S.A. Today reports that in recent months, North Korea has threatened South Korea’s leader, calling her a prostitute, and the South has vowed to hit North Korea hard if provoked. North Korea’s rising anger coincided with annual joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea and a visit to Seoul by President Barack Obama. North Korea also test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles and exchanged artillery fire with South Korea near a disputed boundary in the Yellow Sea.

Experts believe North Korea has developed some crude nuclear devices and is working toward building a warhead small enough to mount on a long range missile. The reclusive nation has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006, the latest in February 2013.

Yesterday, an unidentified spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry warned the U.S. government that if it didn’t block the release of a new American comedy film about a plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un, it would be considered an “act of war.”

Until it is determined exactly what the projectiles were that were fired today, it is difficult to know what North Korea’s objective was with the launch.

The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.