North Korea Carries Out Sixth Missile Launch

BBC reported that on Thursday, October 6, North Korea launched two more ballistic missiles, making it the sixth such prohibited launch in less than two weeks. Additionally, on Wednesday, Pyongyang described its recent offensive as "just counteraction measures" in response to joint military exercises between the US and South Korea.

UN Security Council emergency meeting

Pyongyang launched a missile over Japan on Tuesday, which prompted the US to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The US charged at the meeting that Russia and China were shielding the North from harsher penalties. In fact, the US ambassador to the UN claimed that Moscow and Beijing had provided Pyongyang with "blanket protection" by opposing further sanctions. Increased dialogue, according to the Chinese and Russian representatives, is preferable to punishment. On the other hand, to practice how to stop and deter a North Korean attack, the US, South Korea, and Japan have been conducting joint exercises for the past two months. As a result, enraging Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, by these drills because he believes they are evidence that his adversaries are preparing for war. In addition, North Korea accused the US of "escalating the military tensions on the Korean peninsula" in its statement.

North Korea continues its missile tests

In response to Tuesday's launch, the US, Japan, and South Korea reportedly conducted further drills on Wednesday. There was "no equivalency," according to the US, between a prohibited missile test and security training. Furthermore, according to South Korea and Japan, the first missile fired on Thursday at around 6:00 local time (21:00 GMT) traveled 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached an altitude of around 100 kilometers, while the second missile covered an estimated 800 kilometers (km) at an altitude of about 50 kilometers. Moreover, the recent rush of launches by North Korea clearly resembles the time before its most recent nuclear weapon test in 2017. The country tested missiles back then, just as it is doing now. In addition, Pyongyang launched two missiles over Japan and did not set up a dialogue with the US. Also, in 2018, during a brief diplomatic reconciliation with the US under President Trump, the North claimed to have demolished tunnels at its nuclear testing facility, but satellite photography reveals that they have been rebuilding them. Besides updating its nuclear regulations this month, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, proclaimed his nation an "irreversible" nuclear power. In addition, North Korea appears to be waiting for a politically advantageous time to conduct its seventh nuclear test now that everything is in place. According to analysts, the three-week period between the US midterm elections in early November and the Communist Party Congress in China later this month is when a test is most likely to take place.