The presidential office announced on Thursday that it is closely monitoring North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, which occurred after a five-month hiatus.
During a press briefing at the Yongsan presidential complex, spokesperson Kim Nam Joon stressed that the administration has been actively responding to the situation, including convening an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting to address the missile launch.
According to intelligence reports, North Korea fired multiple projectiles, believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, from the Junghwa area in North Hwanghae Province at around 8:10 a.m. Wednesday.
This provocative act, marking North Korea’s first missile launch in five months, is widely believed to have been deliberately timed to coincide with next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
The National Security Office promptly held an NSC meeting to assess the situation and discuss possible responses. Government officials stated that they will continue to closely monitor developments, including the possibility of further missile launches by North Korea, while evaluating necessary countermeasures.