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The South Korean national flag flutters over a relatively quiet Cheong Wa Dae on December 28 of last year, a day before the presidential office's return to the compound. The presidential phoenix standard is scheduled to be hoisted at midnight on the 29th. The photo shows the view of Cheong Wa Dae from the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, on the 28th. / Reporter Park Sung-il

The National Security Office of Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency security assessment meeting on the 12th to review military readiness and the overall security posture after North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea. Cheong Wa Dae urged North Korea to halt the provocations, which came just nine days after its launch of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on the 3rd.

Kang Yu-jung, chief spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, announced in a written briefing that day that "the National Security Office held an emergency security assessment meeting attended by relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

During the meeting, the National Security Office stated, "In light of North Korea's recent series of ballistic missile launches, we must once again examine our military's readiness posture and security situation to ensure full preparedness." It analyzed and assessed the impact of the launch on national security and instructed relevant agencies on matters requiring follow-up measures.

The office added, "North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches are not only violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, but also grave acts that run entirely counter to managing the current situation on the Korean Peninsula," calling on Pyongyang to "immediately halt them."

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from around Pyongyang into the East Sea at approximately 9:20 a.m. that day. The launch comes nine days after it test-fired an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on the 3rd.

The ballistic missiles launched that day were analyzed to have flown more than roughly 900 kilometers. Detailed specifications, including the exact missile types and flight characteristics, are undergoing close analysis by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities.

                                                                                                         Park Young-hoon