(Bloomberg) — North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles into waters off its west coast and apparently tore down a monument dedicated to reunification with South Korea as leader Kim Jong Un intensified a pressure campaign against his neighbor.
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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected multiple cruise missiles fired at about 7 a.m. Wednesday and was coordinating with its ally the US to monitor for further activities by North Korea. It did not provide further details on the launches but Yonhap News agency said the missiles appeared to be longer range and capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads.
North Korea has been trying to build an arsenal of tactical weapons for possible use against South Korea. This month, Kim’s regime fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile designed to hit US bases in Asia for its first such launch of 2024. Pyongyang also criticized joint naval drills among the US, South Korea and Japan held in international waters off the peninsula.
Read: North Korea Test-Fires Its First Ballistic Missile of 2024
North Korea said the previous launch was of a “hypersonic” ballistic missile, indicating it deployed a reentry vehicle that could hold a nuclear warhead and maneuver at high speeds. The US, South Korea and Japan said they were analyzing the launch.
North Korea has bristled at joint military exercises for decades, calling them a prelude to an invasion and nuclear war. Although North Korea is barred by UN Security Council resolutions from testing ballistic missiles, it faces no such prohibitions on cruise missiles.
Ballistic missiles fly in an arced trajectory at supersonic speeds and are unpowered on descent. Cruise missiles travel at subsonic speeds and can fly at low altitudes. They are maneuverable, making them harder to detect and intercept.
North Korea also appears to have demolished a large monument in Pyongyang that symbolized the hope of reunification after leader Kim started the year by branded South Korea as his “principal enemy.”
Specialist service NK News reported Tuesday night that satellite imagery indicates the Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification appeared to be gone, although it was unclear when or how it was taken down.
Kim called the monument an “eye-sore” in a speech to the country’s rubber stamp parliament last week where he said he wanted to remove the idea of “peaceful reunification” with South Korea from the constitution.
Read: Kim Jong Un Wants ‘Peaceful Reunification’ Cut From Constitution
The monument was unveiled about a year after then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung made a historic visit in 2000 to Pyongyang to meet Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader. The meeting raised hopes of reconciliation on the divided peninsula.
The 30-meter (100-foot) -tall monument was unveiled in 2001 and built above a “unification” highway that connects Pyongyang to South Korea. It reflected the desire of state founder Kim Il Sung to reunify the country, North Korean propaganda publication Naenara said.
Kim Jong Un’s dismantling of the symbols of unification and government offices dedicated to that task has put pressure on conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has taken a hard line against Pyongyang and angered Kim’s regime by stepping up military cooperation with the US and Japan. Those actions include joint training to counter threats posed by North Korea.
By harshly criticizing the policies of the Yoon administration, Kim Jong Un may be trying to influence upcoming parliamentary elections in South Korea in which the progressive camp that embraces warm ties with Pyongyang is looking to keep control of the body.
Read: Kim Jong Un Destroys Joint Korea Office in Rebuke to Seoul
But Kim’s symbolic displays of anger have not been limited to conservative governments in Seoul. In June 2020, Kim’s regime blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border built at a cost of about $15 million by then progressive President Moon Jae-in, who billed the structure as a symbol of his rapprochement toward Pyongyang.
–With assistance from Shinhye Kang.
(Updates and recasts.)
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David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
