North Korea Warns US About Using Aircraft Carrier in Drills

2 short-range ballistic missiles are launched
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 8, 2022 3:17 PM CDT
North Korea Warns US About Using Aircraft Carrier in Drills
The USS Ronald Reagan is escorted as it arrives in Busan, South Korea, on Sept. 23.   (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Sunday, the latest in its barrage of weapons tests in recent days, after the North warned against the US redeployment of an aircraft carrier for a new round of drills with South Korean warships. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected the two missiles launched shortly before 2am Sunday from the North's eastern coastal city of Munchon. It said South Korea's military has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the US, the AP reports.

The Japanese government also said North Korea fired what were possible ballistic missiles. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to gather and analyze information about the suspected launches and inform the public quickly, while ensuring the safety of aircraft and ships around Japan and preparing for any contingencies, according to his office. The Japanese coast guard said it has warned ships around the country's coasts about falling objects and urged them to stay away. The launch, the North's seventh round of weapons tests in two weeks, came hours after the US and South Korea wrapped a new round of naval drills off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast.

The drills involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group, which returned to the area after North Korea fired a powerful missile over Japan last week to protest the carrier group's previous training with South Korea. On Saturday, North Korea's Defense Ministry warned that the Reagan's redeployment was causing a "considerably huge negative splash" in regional security. The North's Defense Ministry called its recent missile tests a "righteous reaction" to intimidating military drills between its rivals. North Korea regards US-South Korean military exercises as an invasion rehearsal and is especially sensitive if such drills involve U.S. strategic assets like an aircraft carrier.

(More North Korea missile launch stories.)

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