In this photo provided by the Defense Ministry of the Republic of Korea, an Army Tactical Missile System or ATACMS, missile is fired during a joint military drill between US and the ROK at an undisclosed location in the ROK, Oct 5, 2022. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the ROK and US militaries successfully fired four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles during the exercise that it said was aimed at demonstrating its precision strike capabilities against the DPRK. (ROK DEFENSE MINISTRY VIA AP)
SEOUL – The Republic of Korea and the US military conducted missile drills in response to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan.
The DPRK test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover.
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The US military and its allies have stepped up displays of force and the White House National Security Council called the latest DPRK test "dangerous and reckless"
ROK and American troops fired a volley of missiles into the sea in response, the ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday, and the allies earlier staged a bombing drill with fighter jets in the Yellow Sea.
The military separately confirmed that an ROK Hyunmoo-2 missile failed shortly after launch and crashed during the drill, but that no one was hurt.
The US military and its allies have stepped up displays of force and the White House National Security Council called the latest test "dangerous and reckless".
US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the DPRK test in the "strongest terms", the European Union called it a "reckless and deliberately provocative action", and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the launch, saying it was a violation of Security Council resolutions.
The US asked the UN Security Council to meet on the DPRK on Wednesday.
It was the first DPRK missile to follow a trajectory over Japan since 2017, and its estimated 4,600 km flight was the longest for a DPRK test, which are usually "lofted" into space to avoid flying over neighboring countries.
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In this photo provided by the ROK Defense Ministry, the ROK Air Force's F15K fighter jets and US Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly in formation during a joint drill in an undisclosed location in the ROK, Oct 4, 2022. (ROK DEFENSE MINISTRY VIA AP)
ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol called the test "reckless" and said it would bring a decisive response from his country, its allies and the international community.
The launch was a "reckless and deliberately provocative action" that violated UN Security Council resolutions, a European Union spokesperson said.