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North Korea simultaneously fires 18 KN-25 super-large multiple rocket launcher projectiles lined up on a runway near Pyongyang on May 30, 2024. This file photo is unrelated to the missile launch conducted in the Sondok area on Nov. 4. /Rodong Sinmun

North Korea fired multiple missiles from the Sondok area of South Hamgyong Province toward the East Sea on Wednesday morning. South Korean and U.S. military authorities were confirmed to have monitored related activities from the preparation stage and detected and tracked the missiles immediately after launch.

In its second announcement Wednesday morning, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "Our military detected multiple missiles launched from the Sondok area of North Korea toward the East Sea on the morning of Nov. 4." It added, "South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis of their exact specifications."

Specific details of the missiles, including their types, flight distances, altitudes and speeds, have yet to be disclosed. Further confirmation is also needed to determine whether they were ballistic or cruise missiles.

The latest launch is particularly notable because South Korean and U.S. military authorities had detected and monitored North Korea's missile launch preparations in advance. "South Korea and the United States closely monitored the missiles from the preparation stage and detected and tracked them immediately after launch," the JCS explained.

However, the fact that the military monitored preparations in advance does not necessarily mean it had identified the exact launch timing or missile types beforehand.

Military authorities are also closely watching North Korea's intentions behind the launch and the possibility of additional launches. It has yet to be confirmed whether the launch was a response to specific South Korean-U.S. military activities or a test to verify the performance of North Korea's own weapons systems.

"Under the firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various activities while maintaining the capabilities and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation," the JCS stressed.

South Korean and U.S. military authorities are expected to comprehensively analyze launch data, including the missiles' flight trajectories, speeds, altitudes and ranges, to determine the characteristics of the weapons systems, including whether they are ballistic missiles and whether they are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. They are also expected to closely assess the military intentions and strategic implications of the launch, including whether it was a show of force directed at South Korea and the United States.

                                                                                                             Koo Pil-hyun