North Korea rains missiles on sea after branding rivals as ‘world-startling fools’
North Korea fired a fresh volley of missiles after mocking Seoul and crushing hopes for peace with a defiant show of military muscle
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
North Korea has launched a fresh volley of ballistic missiles into the ocean, just hours after Pyongyang officials unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade against their southern neighbours. The hermit kingdom fired multiple short-range weapons from its eastern Wonsan region on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles reportedly screamed across the sky for roughly 150 miles before plunging into the sea.
The provocative display marks the second launch in just 48 hours, coming on the heels of a suspected dud launch on Tuesday that seemingly vanished from radar after an “abnormal” lift-off. The military muscle-flexing follows a blistering verbal assault from North Korean official Jang Kum Chol.
The First Vice Minister took aim at Seoul’s hopes for a diplomatic thaw, branding South Korean officials “world-startling fools” for thinking relations were improving.
In a bizarre and vitriolic statement, Jang echoed previous sentiments from Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, who reportedly compared South Koreans to “the dogs affected by mange that blindly bark to the tune of neighbouring dogs.”
The “mange” remark was said to have been sparked by South Korea co-sponsoring a UN resolution regarding North Korean human rights violations.
Jang further hammered home the hostile stance, declaring that the South would forever remain the North’s “most hostile enemy state.”
While South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had previously seen “meaningful progress” in recent communications, Pyongyang has moved quickly to crush those hopes.
The North’s recent activities include Kim Jong Un recently overseeing a test for an upgraded solid-fuel engine, which is considered a significant development for his country’s strategic military arsenal.
Experts have warned that these solid-fuel missiles are far harder to detect and intercept because they can be moved and fired much more rapidly than liquid-fuel counterparts.
Additionally, South Korean intelligence suggests the North is desperately working to master multi-warhead technology in an effort to bypass and penetrate United States missile defences.
South Korean military chiefs say they remain in a state of high alert, backed by a “solid military alliance” with the United States to repel any further provocations.
Pyongyang has remained frozen in its stance against nuclear disarmament since the 2019 collapse of talks between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump, with the North Korean leader recently threatening to “destroy” his rivals if provoked.
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