South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately say where the missile came from or how far.
The launch came hours after the South Korean military said a US nuclear-powered submarine – the USS Annapolis – had arrived at a port on Jeju Island. The arrival of the USS Annapolis increases the allies’ ability to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats.
Last week, the USS Kentucky became the first US nuclear-armed warship to visit South Korea since the 1980s. North Korea reacted to its arrival by conducting a cruise missile test and showing that it could carry out nuclear tests on South Korea and deploy US warships.
Also on Monday, the American-led United Nations said it had begun talks with North Korea over a US soldier who fled to the North last week across the world’s most heavily fortified border.
Andrew Harrison, a British general who is the deputy head of the UN Command, declined to say when the talks began, how many exchanges took place and whether the North Koreans responded effectively, citing the sensitivity of the talks. He also denied in detail the command’s knowledge of Pvt. Travis Kingculture.
“Nobody knows where this is going to end,” Harrison said at a press conference in Seoul. “I am hopeful in life, and I am still hopeful. But again, I’ll leave it at that.”
It was not immediately clear whether Harrison’s comments were indicative of positive progress in communications after the administration said last week it was “working” with its North Korean counterparts.
The UN mandate, which was created to fight the Korean War, left South Korea to oversee the introduction of the 1953 armistice that halted the war.
The contact was made through “channels” established under the military, Harrison said. This could mean the so-called pink telephone, the telephone line between the command and the North Korean People’s Army in the village of Panmunjom, where the King crossed over.
Korea is still technically at war as no peace treaty has been signed. The US, which fought alongside South Korea and its allies during the war, has not established diplomatic relations with the North, but the line is a common line of communication.
North Korea has remained publicly silent on King, who crossed the border during the Panmunjom march when he was supposed to go to Fort Bliss, Texas, after being released from prison in South Korea for beatings.
US officials have expressed concern for his life and have previously said North Korea has ignored requests for his release.
Experts say North Korea may wait weeks or months to release information about King to increase momentum and add urgency to US efforts to have him released. Some say North Korea may try to get back at Washington, such as by tying its release to the United States to reduce its military activities with South Korea.
King’s crossing came at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea’s weapons demonstrations and the United States’ joint military exercises escalating.
On Monday, South Korea’s military said a US nuclear-powered submarine had arrived at a port on Jeju Island. The arrival of the USS Annapolis increases the allies’ ability to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats.
Last week, the USS Kentucky became the first US nuclear-armed warship to visit South Korea since the 1980s. North Korea reacted to its arrival by conducting a cruise missile test and showing that it could carry out nuclear tests on South Korea and deploy US warships.
North Korea’s Ministry of Defense also issued a veiled threat, saying that the port of Kentucky in South Korea could be the reason for North Korea to use a nuclear weapon in this fight. North Korea has used similar terms in the past, but the term reflects how strained relations have become.
The United States and South Korea have increased their joint military exercises and increased the deployment of US aircraft and ships, including bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines in a show of force against North Korea, which has tested 100 missiles since the beginning of 2022.
The Annapolis, whose primary mission is to destroy enemy ships and submarines, is powered by nuclear weapons but has conventional weapons. The Annapolis mainly stopped in Jeju to take on cargo, but Jang Do Young, a spokesman for the South Korean military, said the US and South Korean militaries were discussing whether to organize training sessions for the ship.
The alliance will be 70 years old on Thursday, a year in which South Korea plans to hold a memorial service that will include invited foreign soldiers.
North Korea, which celebrates the victory day of the “Great War for the Salvation of the Fatherland,” is planning large-scale celebrations that will include a military parade in the capital Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un will be able to show off his advanced nuclear weapons designed to match rivals and the United States.
North Korea’s Central News Agency said on Monday that a Chinese delegation led by Mr. Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the standing committee of the country’s National People’s Congress, will go to North Korea to participate in the celebrations.
Foreign tourist visits to North Korea have been rare since the outbreak began, prompting the North to close its borders to protect its health system. North Korea has since last year been slowly reopening trade with China in an attempt to salvage a battered economy that was damaged by the past two years of pandemic-related border controls.