The allies launched a surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile at targets in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, at dawn on Monday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
This 10-minute salvo comes a day after Pyongyang launched eight short-range ballistic missiles following a joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States in which a US aircraft carrier took part.
“Our military strongly condemns the series of ballistic missile provocations by the North and strongly urges us to immediately cease acts that increase military tensions on the peninsula,” the South Korean military said in a statement.
Pyongyang has stepped up efforts to reform its weapons program this year despite harsh economic sanctions. Officials and analysts have warned that Kim Jong Un’s regime is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.
Monday’s firing is the second joint show of force by allies led by South Korea’s new president, Eun Suk-yol, who has vowed to toughen his stance in the face of Pyongyang’s provocation.
Last month, Seoul and Washington conducted joint launches, their first such joint action since 2017, after Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles, including what is believed to be an intercontinental border.
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