![North Korea launches suspected ballistic missiles following reconnaissance satellite](https://www.jurist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/jurist-white-text.png)
North Korea launched Thursday around 10 suspected short-range ballistic missiles to its eastern sea and attacked the global positioning system, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. The missiles flew about 350 km and landed in the East Sea, an area in which the South Korea hosts major air force bases.
Although North Korea failed Tuesday to shoot up its fourth military reconnaissance satellite, it reported Friday the guidance on firing the 600mm super-large rocket launchers from Sunan, which is presumed as the ballistic missiles lifted off on Thursday. Supreme Leader of North Korea also indicated his willingness to launch a preemptive attack against North Korea.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized the importance of promptness to capture, track and monitor the launch of missiles with the cooperation with Japan and the US. The US has shown concern about further enhancement of nuclear weapons and missiles created in North Korea and blamed its violation of international law for threatening peace and safety.
Since Tuesday, South Korea has been disturbed with a large amount of anti-South leaflets and bags containing wastes thrown into the air over it. Although no toxic substances are yet found from them, the military requested the regional government to treat unknown stuffs as from North Korea with caution and to report them as soon as possible.
According to the local media in Japan, the Japan Coast Guard received an email earlier this week from North Korea noting a premature report of launching “artificial satellites” from Monday to June 4. It predicted three water areas in which the satellites would fall and has issued a navigational warning. On the same day, The Japanese prime minister’s office issued an emergency warning stating about the possibility of a missile launched by North Korea.