North Korea fires missiles, South Korea retaliates after 'territorial invasion'
In a first, both North and South Korea fired missiles that landed in each other's waters on Wednesday, reported BBC. South Korea reportedly fired in retaliation after a North Korean missile landed 57 km from the former's city of Sokcho in the Sea of Japan. South Korea issued an air raid warning on national television advising all citizens to evacuate to the nearest bunker.
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This came a day after North Korea threatened to use "powerful measures" against the US and South Korea, which were conducting one of their largest joint military air drills. Over the last few weeks, North Korea has also launched a series of missiles as a response to the drills. This followed intelligence reports of Pyongyang preparing to test its first nuclear weapon since 2017.
S Korea advised detour to local airlines
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol called its neighbor's move a territorial invasion. Pyongyang reportedly launched at least 10 missiles, of which one landed in South Korea's waters. Seoul closed some air routes over the Sea of Japan and advised local airlines flying to the US and Japan to take a detour to ensure the safety of passengers.
Warning was sounded for the South Korean island of Ullegundo
Seoul fired back for the first time since Korean War
One of 10 missiles landed near South Korean coast
The South Korean military said it was the first time since the Korean War in 1953 that a ballistic missile had landed so close to its coast crossing the Northen Limit Line — the de facto maritime border between both neighboring countries. Earlier, Seoul tracked three short-range ballistic missiles. It later identified 10 missiles of various types launched toward the east and west.
Joint military exercise harks back to Gulf War: Pyongyang official
The joint military air drills by the US and South Korea involving hundreds of warplanes from both sides have been named Vigilant Storm. A high-ranking official from Pyongyang, Pak Jong Chon said the name of the joint military exercise relates to Operation Desert Storm of the Gulf War in 1990-1991, which saw the US-led aerial assault on Iraq after the latter invaded Kuwait.
