South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency briefing after North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles from the Sinpo area toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan). The office called the launches violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to stop immediately.
On April 19, the National Security Office held the emergency meeting, which was chaired by First Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Hyun-jong. Blue House senior spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said in a written briefing that officials from the Defense Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other agencies attended. The meeting analyzed the launch’s impact on South Korea’s security and reviewed possible response measures.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military detected several unidentified ballistic missiles launched from the Sinpo area toward the East Sea at about 6:10 a.m.
The missiles traveled roughly 140 kilometers (about 87 miles). South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are conducting a detailed analysis of their exact specifications. Given Sinpo’s submarine base and shipyard, military sources raised the possibility that the launch could have involved a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The National Security Office expressed concern over North Korea’s recent string of ballistic launches. It called this launch a serious provocation in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and stressed that Pyongyang must desist from actions that further escalate tensions.
The office said it immediately briefed President Yoon Suk Yeol on the situation and on the government’s planned response measures.
The launch was North Korea’s first ballistic missile firing in 11 days since April 8 and marked the seventh such launch so far this year.
