North Korea Tests Short-Range Missiles as US Prepares for Election Day

North Korea launched a series of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea early Tuesday morning, an act confirmed by military sources in South Korea and Japan just hours before the United States began its presidential elections. The missiles, reportedly fired around 7:30 am from the Sariwon area in North Hwanghae Province, south of Pyongyang, traveled approximately 400 kilometers, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as cited by Yonhap news agency.

The JCS announced that it has heightened surveillance and maintained combat readiness, working closely with American and Japanese authorities to monitor North Korean ballistic missile activities. Japan’s Defense Ministry also reported that North Korea likely launched a ballistic missile that appeared to have already descended, as noted by Japanese state media outlet Kyodo.

This missile launch comes shortly after North Korea’s October 31 test-firing of the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea, a missile believed capable of reaching the continental United States. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who observed the test, voiced satisfaction, calling it the “ultimate version” of the ICBM and asserting that the country’s advancements in nuclear delivery technology solidify its “hegemonic position” as “absolutely irreversible.” Kim reiterated that North Korea remains committed to expanding its nuclear forces, KCNA added.

In response to these recent developments, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air drills on Sunday over waters east of South Korea’s Jeju Island. This trilateral exercise included a US B-1B bomber and took place in airspace north of Jeju, marking another instance of military cooperation among the three allies as tensions in the region continue.