Global Courant 2023-04-17 09:33:40
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Author of the article:
The associated press
Kim Tong-hyung
Published April 17, 2023 • read for 4 minutes
FILE – In this photo taken by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Atago, left, the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Barry, in the center, and the South Korean Navy Aegis destroyer King Sejong the Great, right, sailing during a joint missile defense exercise between South Korea, the United States, and Japan in international waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, on Feb. 22, 2023. The United States, South Korea and Japan will conduct a joint missile defense exercise in waters near the Korean Peninsula on Monday, April 17, 2023 as they further expand military training to counter the growing threat from North Korea’s nuclear missiles, the South Korea said. Korean Navy. (Defense Ministry of South Korea via AP, file) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States, South Korea and Japan will conduct a joint missile defense exercise Monday in the waters near the Korean peninsula as they expand their military training to counter the growing threat of North Korea’s nuclear-powered missiles , the South Korean missiles. said the Korean Navy.
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Last week, North Korea held one of its most provocative weapons demonstrations in years by testing an intercontinental ballistic missile powered by solid propellant for the first time as it pursues a weapon that is more responsive, harder to detect and can aim directly at the mainland. United States.
North Korea’s unprecedented array of weapons tests has so far seen more than 100 missiles of varying ranges fired into the sea since early 2022 as the country tries to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten its rival neighbors and the United States .
Monday’s exercises could lead to a belligerent response from North Korea, which condemns the United States’ military exercises with its Asian allies as invasion rehearsals. The North has used those exercises as a pretext to accelerate its own weapons development, creating a cycle of tit-for-tat that has fueled tensions in recent months.
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South Korea’s navy said Monday’s triple naval exercises will take place in international waters off the country’s east coast and will focus on mastering procedures for detecting, tracking and sharing information on incoming North Korean missiles. ballistic missiles. The naval exercise includes an Aegis destroyer from each country and comes as the United States and South Korea are also launching separate aerial exercises involving some 110 combat aircraft, including advanced F-35 fighter jets.
“The purpose of the exercises is to enhance our ballistic missile response capabilities and strengthen our ability to conduct joint operations as North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats continue to escalate,” said Jang Do-young, a spokesman for the South. Korean Navy, in a news report. briefing.
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Air exercises between the US and South Korea beginning Monday and continuing through April 28 are aimed at sharpening combined operational capabilities and demonstrating the countries’ joint defense positions in the face of North Korean threats, the U.S. Department of State said. Seoul defense.
The United States and South Korea conducted their largest filed exercises in years in March and have also held separate naval and air exercises involving a US carrier battlegroup and nuclear-capable B-52 bombers. The exercises sparked strong protests from the north as it ramped up its own testing activities, testing two ICBMs and nearly 20 short-range weapons since March.
Monday marks 11 days in a row that North Korea has failed to respond to South Korean check-up calls on a series of cross-border inter-Korean hotlines, South Korean officials say, raising concerns about possible kinetic provocations. Communications on those channels are intended to prevent accidental collisions along the rivals’ maritime borders.
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A South Korean naval vessel fired warning shots on Saturday to ward off a North Korean patrol vessel that temporarily crossed the country’s disputed western maritime border while pursuing a Chinese fishing boat. There was no gunfight between the North and South Korean ships, but the South Korean high-speed ship collided with the Chinese boat as it responded to the intrusion amid poor visibility, leaving some of the South Korean sailors bruised and others caused minor injuries. South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said.
Although the South’s military stepped up surveillance and preparedness after the break-in, it did not immediately detect any unusual activity by the North Korean military, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Lee Sung Jun said Monday.
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North Korea’s aggressive nuclear strike under ruler Kim Jong-un aims to force the United States to accept the idea of the north as a legitimate nuclear power and negotiate economic concessions from a position of strength, many experts say. Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been derailed since 2019 over disagreements over the release of crippling US-led sanctions against the north and moves to reduce its nuclear program.
However, there are also signs that the costs of Kim’s campaign are mounting as North Korea apparently grapples with food insecurity and other domestic issues exacerbated by pandemic border restrictions that have disrupted trade with China, its main ally and economic lifeline. In pursuit of tangible economic results, Kim’s government has prioritized construction and agricultural projects.
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The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Monday that Kim attended an event over the weekend to celebrate the construction of 10,000 new homes in a Pyongyang district. The project is part of wider plans to deliver 50,000 new homes in the capital under a five-year national development plan that will run until 2025.
Speaking at Sunday’s event, Kim called the housing project a “long-held plan” to provide his people with “more stable and civilized living conditions,” KCNA said.
Experts say North Korea has severe shortages of quality housing that have worsened over decades of economic decline. But living conditions are much better in Pyongyang, where Kim has pushed massive development projects in recent years that have improved housing for elites and transformed the city’s skyline.
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