North Korea Launches More Missiles Than Ever Before, Putting Pacific Region on High Alert

Image by qalebstudio on Freepik

North Korea fired at least three short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles were launched from a site south of Pyongyang in the Chunghwa area of North Hwanghae province at around 8 a.m. local time.

Japan's Defense Ministry reported that the projectiles reached a maximum altitude of approximately 100 kilometers and had a flight distance of roughly 350 kilometers. They fell into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.

This marks the 37th time this year that North Korea has conducted a missile launch. In comparison, the nation only conducted four missile tests in 2020. However, in 2021, it has already doubled that number and has launched more missiles than any other year on record. In fact, at one point it launched 23 missiles in a single day. In total, North Korea has fired more than 90 cruise and ballistic missiles so far this year.

Some experts believe that a potential nuclear test may be on the horizon, as the nation has been showcasing a range of weapons through these frequent tests. The sheer frequency of the tests marks a significant escalation and has put the Pacific region on edge.