North Korea Test Fires Rockets After South Korea Fires on Ship

South Korea condemns test for stoking military tension

Following South Korea opening fire on a North Korean merchant ship to chase it out of contested waters, North Korea has test fired its rocket launchers again on the east cost, firing two projectiles into the sea.

North Korea has repeatedly test fired their multiple rocket launcher system in recent months, though this is the first such test in November. South Korea condemned the test, saying they are stoking military tensions.

The test comes just a little over a month before the deadline between US and North Korea to get negotiations going again, and is likely to be seen as a reminder of that fact. New talks are seen as unlikely, with the US refusing to entertain new positions where North Korea gets anything in return for disarmament.

The US has so far not objected to the tests of rockets, with President Trump saying he doesn’t consider it a problem at all. North Korea has a massive amount of artillery to retaliate in the case of a US-South Korean attack, and has been trying to add rockets to that arsenal.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.