South Korea and the United States fired missiles in response to the North Korean launch

South Korea and the United States fired four surface-to-surface missiles toward the Sea of ​​Japan, South Korea’s military said on Wednesday, after a series of North Korean fires.

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According to the South Korean General Staff, the South Korean and US militaries each fired two strategic missiles at simulated targets. On Tuesday, the air forces of the two allies had already conducted bombing exercises against a target in the Yellow Sea.

American National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who was interviewed by CNN, suggested that it was about “responding to provocations from the North, making sure we can demonstrate our own capabilities” and “making sure we have.” Military capabilities are ready.

However, he did not directly confirm the firing and did not provide further details.

“It doesn’t have to come to that. We have made it clear to Kim Jong Un that we are ready to sit at the table without preconditions,” he added.

North Korea, which has amended its law to make its status as a nuclear power “irreversible”, has increased its fire this year and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.

Pyongyang fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday that flew over Japan, prompting Tokyo to activate its warning system and ask people in some areas to take shelter.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Pyongyang to “restart talks” and “escalate” to achieve “complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, for his part, condemned the “provocative” act that “clearly violates universal principles and United Nations standards” and ordered a “firm response”.