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North Korea Fires Suspected Ballistic Missile Before US Vote

A monitor displays a test launch for a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from an undisclosed place in North Korea, during a news broadcast in Seoul on Nov. 1. Photographer: Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRo/Photographer: Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA )

(Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast in a further ratcheting up of tensions just hours ahead of the US election as concerns continue to build over Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Russia.   

The missiles were fired from an area south of Pyongyang in North Hwanghae province toward waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. At least seven missiles flew around 400 kilometers (249 miles) with a maximum altitude of about 100 km, Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani said. They’re believed to have splashed down in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, he added.

The firing of the missiles comes a day after Pyongyang’s foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, adding to concerns over strengthening military ties between the two nations and the implications for the war in Ukraine.

Following the latest launch, South Korea’s military said it has heightened its defense stance and is sharing information with the US and Japan to analyze the details. Pyongyang usually doesn’t comment on its missile firings until the following day. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been trying to raise the profile of his nuclear and missile programs as the US readies for a presidential election that could impact how Washington deals with Pyongyang and the strength of its support for Ukraine. On Friday, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that stayed airborne for a record time, potentially allowing Kim to load heavier warheads to deliver a nuclear strike to the US mainland. 

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is seen largely sticking to the current direction of security policy and an “ironclad” commitment to defend South Korea if she wins, a stance she underlined in a recent op-ed published by Yonhap News. 

A Donald Trump victory could lead to a change in tack on dealing with Pyongyang. The former president scaled back major joint drills with South Korea when he was in office as he tried to negotiate directly with Kim in talks that ultimately broke down. During Trump’s tenure, Kim continued to modernize his missile arsenal, develop new nuclear warheads and increase his stockpile of fissile material.

Trump has also questioned why the US is spending so much to support Kyiv and has said he could end the war “in 24 hours” by getting Russia and Ukraine to negotiate. Harris has pledged to keep up US support for Kyiv for as long as needed.

Pyongyang’s actions are gaining increasing international attention following Kim’s decision to send troops to Russia to help the Kremlin’s assault on Ukraine, a development that has raised fears over an escalation of the conflict. In Moscow, Putin met with the visiting foreign minister from North Korea, Choe Son Hui, on Monday, according to the Tass news agency. 

Choe said during a meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Friday that North Korea will stand with Russia “until the day of victory.”

North Korea is dispatching about 10,000 troops to Russia, with the US and its allies trying to dissuade Pyongyang from engaging in direct fight with Ukraine. 

Kyiv said Monday it attacked North Korean troops for the first time since they were sent into Russia’s Kursk region where the Ukrainian forces have made gains this year. The US said it couldn’t confirm reports of North Korean combat engagement.

 

In return for sending troops, there’s a “high chance” that North Korea will seek cutting-edge technology transfers from Russia — including technology related to tactical nuclear weapons, ICBMs, reconnaissance satellites and ballistic missile submarines, South Korea has said.

Seoul has also warned for months that North Korea may carry out a nuclear test around the time of the US election. In September, North Korea released its first photos of a facility to enrich uranium for atomic bombs, showing Kim touring a plant at the center of a program that has been a point of friction with the US for more than 20 years. 

On Sunday, the US flew a B-1B bomber for joint drills with fighter jets from South Korea and Japan in a show of force after North Korea’s ICBM launch. Pyongyang bristled at the training and vowed to continue bolstering its nuclear capabilities as the “one and only choice” to defend itself under the current security situation. 

(Adds more details on stances of US presidential candidates, recent trilateral drill)

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