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South Korea's military on Friday conducted a live-fire exercise with its indigenous ballistic missiles in a show of force against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) missile launch provocation.
The military carried out a live-firing drill by mobilizing its homegrown Hyunmoo-2A ballistic missiles, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The DPRK launched an unidentified ballistic missile, believed to have an intermediate-range capability, at about 6:57 a.m. local time (2227 GMT Thursday) from an area near its capital Pyongyang, according to the JCS.
The missile flew some 3,700 km over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and fell into the waters in the North Pacific.
In late August, Pyongyang fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), called Hwasong-12, over the Japanese island. At the time, it traveled around 2,700 km and landed in the North Pacific.
South Korea's live-firing drill was approved by President Moon Jae-in before Pyongyang's missile launch. According to the presidential Blue House, signs of the DPRK's missile launch were reported Thursday to Moon who had ordered an immediate show of force against the expected provocation.
Just six minutes after the DPRK's missile firing, the South Korean military launched two Hyunmoo-2A ballistic missiles which are known to have a range of at least 300 km, according to local media reports. One accurately hit the target, but the other fell several minutes after the take-off.
President Moon convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting over the DPRK provocation, saying "dialogue is impossible in this situation."
He said the international community's sanctions and pressure will be tightened further to force the DPRK to come to the path of a dialogue.
Moon noted that his government will draw up stern and effective measures to change the DPRK, which he said will face diplomatic isolation and economic pressure if Pyongyang continues provocation.
The South Korean president ordered the military to secure an immediate punishment capability against possible DPRK armed provocation, instructing the foreign ministry to make diplomatic efforts for the thorough implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The UN Security Council unanimously approved a new resolution toughening sanctions on Pyongyang after its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3. The new sanctions curtail the DPRK's oil imports, ban all of its textile exports and prohibit further authorization of work permits abroad for DPRK workers.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono to discuss countermeasures over the DPRK's missile launch, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.
Kang also talked with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via phone about the DPRK provocation.
The South Korean military said in a statement that the DPRK's ballistic missile launch was in a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a significantly provocative act threatening peace and security of the world and the Korean Peninsula.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
