N.Korea fires salvo of missiles, including ICBM, hours after Biden leaves Asia
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North Korea fired three missiles, including one thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday, after U.S. President Joe Biden left Asia following a trip in which he agreed to new measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the three missiles were fired in less than an hour from the Sunan area of the North’s capital, Pyongyang, where its international airport has become a hub of missile tests.
The first missile launched on Wednesday appeared to be an ICBM, while a second unidentified missile appears to have failed mid-flight, the JCS said. The third missile was a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), it said.
In response, the United States and South Korea held combined live-fire drills, including surface-to-surface missile tests involving the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) of the U.S. and the South’s Hyunmoo-2 SRBM, both militaries said.
“Our military’s show of force was intended to highlight our resolve to firmly respond to any North Korean provocations, including an ICBM launch, and our overwhelming capability and readiness to conduct a surgical strike on the origin of the provocation,” the JCS said in a statement.
