Advertisement

Air raid alert on South Korean island after North Korea launches missiles

A U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt attacker lands at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Wednesday amid a South Korea-U.S. joint air drill, Vigilant Storm, against North Korean provocations. Earlier in the day, the North fired about 10 missiles, including three short-range ballistic missiles. Phot by Yonhap
1 of 3 | A U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt attacker lands at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Wednesday amid a South Korea-U.S. joint air drill, Vigilant Storm, against North Korean provocations. Earlier in the day, the North fired about 10 missiles, including three short-range ballistic missiles. Phot by Yonhap

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- North Korea launched a barrage of missiles on Wednesday, prompting an air raid alert on the island of Ulleungdo and a retaliatory launch by South Korea, Seoul defense officials said.

Pyongyang fired at least 17 missiles into the waters around the Korean Peninsula, including a short-range ballistic missile that landed in the East Sea 16 miles south of the de facto maritime border, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a series of text messages to reporters.

Advertisement

It was the first time a North Korean ballistic missile landed south of the sea border, known as the Northern Limit Line, since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The missile splashed down in international waters near South Korean territory, about 35 miles from the east coast city of Sokcho.

Army Lt. Gen. Kang Shin-chul, JCS chief director of operations, called the launch "absolutely unacceptable" and said in a statement that the military would respond "decisively."

Advertisement

The missile triggered an air raid warning on the South Korean island of Ulleungdo, located some 75 miles east of the peninsula, the JCS said.

Sirens blared on the island at around 8:55 a.m. and sent residents racing into basements and shelters, news agency Yonhap reported.

The volcanic island, known mainly as a tourist destination, has a population of around 6,000 people.

North Korea launched at least 17 missiles in both east and west directions, defense officials said, its largest-ever single-day barrage under leader Kim Jong Un. The secretive state also fired around 100 artillery shells into a buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line -- a violation of a 2018 military agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang.

South Korea's Air Force responded by launching three missiles from fighter jets into international waters north of the NLL in "precision firing," the JCS said in a text message. The missiles were targeted to areas that corresponded to the North's earlier launch.

The South Korean military "has the will to respond decisively to any provocations such as short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea and has the capability and readiness to strike the enemy with precision," the message said.

Advertisement

Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the North's provocation "does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies."

"The missile launches highlights the DPRK's reckless behavior and the destabilizing impact of its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs," the command said in a statement.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council and condemned the launches.

Yoon called the missile that crossed the NLL "effectively a violation of our territory," and ordered that "strict measures be taken swiftly to ensure North Korea pays a clear price for its provocation," his office said in press release.

The launches came as South Korea and the United States are conducting their first large-scale joint air drills in five years. The five-day exercise, called Vigilant Storm, kicked off on Monday and involves 240 aircraft including F-35 stealth fighter jets.

North Korea condemned what it called the "aggressive and provocative military drill" on Tuesday and warned that the United States and South Korea would pay a "terrible price" if they attacked the North.

Latest Headlines