Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

North Korea launches missiles for the second time in two days, demonstrating military strength

The Joint Chiefs of Staff vehemently condemn violations of UN Security Council resolution

South Korea and the United States proceed with extensive nationwide drills on day two of Freedom Shield

On March 14, as part of the 2023 Freedom Shield (FS) combined exercise, K9 self-propelled howitzers from the Artillery Brigade of the 28th Army Infantry Division crossed the Imjingang River without the use of additional support equipment like bridges. This maneuver is commonly referred to as is known as “fording.”

The South Korean military affirmed their dedication to conducting the annual Freedom Shield combined exercise as planned, despite provocations from North Korea.

At the regular Defense Ministry briefing on March 14, spokesman Jeon Ha-gyu stressed that, despite North Korea's attempts to disrupt the Freedom Shield exercise with missile provocations, the South Korea-US Alliance will proceed with the planned exercises and trainings.

His statement is grounded in the evaluation that North Korea's provocations are a show of military force in response to the Freedom Shield exercise, which is scheduled to continue until March 23rd.

This morning, between 07:41 and 07:51, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) from Jangyeon, Hwanghaenam-do. The missiles traveled approximately 620 km before falling into the East Sea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff mentioned that South Korean and US intelligence agencies are currently analyzing the missiles' specifications.

Two days after North Korea launched two submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) near Sinpo, Hamgyeongnam-do on March 12, which was intended to demonstrate their power, North Korea made this provocation. This event occurred five days after North Korea launched six close-range ballistic missiles (CRBM) near Nampo on March 9 at 6:20 p.m. North Korea has carried out five provocations with ballistic missiles so far this year, including this one.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea's multiple launches of ballistic missiles are serious provocations that threaten the peace and stability of the international community and the Korean Peninsula. They strongly condemn these actions as a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and demand that they cease immediately. The military will proceed with its planned FS combined exercise and maintain a strong defense posture, tracking and monitoring any signs of further North Korean provocations. They are prepared to respond with overwhelming force to counter any such provocations.

The FS combined exercise continued on its second day with intense activities taking place all over the country. The 28th Army Infantry Division used crawler equipment for combined arms fording training. The 50th Army Infantry Division carried out integrated recovery training in the western Daegu area. The 51st Army Infantry Division conducted regional united defense exercises involving national defense elements. The 1st Supply Group of Army Consolidated Supply Depot provided operational materials to combat units through emergency distribution. The Army Mobilization Force Command engaged in mobilization execution training, which involved tracking and visualizing the movement of forces and materials in real-time to assist command decisions.

The Navy's First Fleet carried out a joint training exercise with the government and military to practice guided missile movement and deployment procedures and improve their firing capabilities. Meanwhile, the Jinhae Naval Base Command participated in a joint counter-terrorism training exercise with the government at the Maritime Technology Research Institute of the Agency for Defense Development, which is responsible for researching marine weapons systems.

The Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing will be conducting extensive training on aircraft munition assembly, with the goal of ensuring that such assembly can be performed quickly and precisely during times of war. Additionally, until March 16th, the 3rd Flying Training Wing will be participating in anti-terrorism training exercises.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr > 

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