[November] North Korea's Provocations in 2022

Nov. 2, 2022

North Korea launched four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the Yellow Sea at 6:51 a.m.(KST) from Chongju and Pihyon in North Pyongan Province, followed by three SRBMs into the East Sea at 8:51 a.m. from Wonsan, Kangwon Province. One of those three SRBMs landed in the South of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which serves as the de facto inter-Korean maritime border. The SRBM landed in the sea 167 kilometers northwest of the island but only 57 kilometers northeast of the South Korean coastal city of Sokcho and 34 kilometers outside the South's territorial waters. This is the first time North Korea has fired a missile toward South Korean territory.

At 9:12 a.m., North Korea fired an additional 10 suspected surface-to-air missiles into the East Sea from Nakwon, Chongpyong, and Sinpo in South Hamgyong Province and into the Yellow Sea from Onchon and Hwajin-ri in South Pyongan and Kwa-il in South Hwanghae Province.

From 11:10 a.m., in response to the North's provocations, South Korea's F-15K and KF-16 warplanes fired three precision strike air-to-surface SLAM-ER missiles into high seas north of the NLL.

Around 1:27 p.m., North Korea fired more than 100 artillery shells from Kosong area, Kangwon Province, into the eastern maritime buffer zone. The buffer zone was set under the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

From 4:30 p.m. to 5:10 p.m., Pyongyang fired 6 more missiles, including suspected surface-to-air ones, into the East and Yellow Seas.

South Korea and the U.S. started a large joint air exercise dubbed Vigilant Storm on Oct. 31, mobilizing more than 240 aircraft, including F-35A stealth fighters from the South Korean Air Force and F-35B, U-2 from the U.S. military. North Korea blasted it and threatened to take "all necessary measures" in response. (source: Korea Joongang Daily, Korea Joongang Daily, Yonhap News)

ground, air, sea buffer zone(no hostile action) agreed by two Koreas in 2018

Nov. 3, 2022

At around 7:40 a.m., North Korea fired ICBM, believed by experts to be a Hwasong-17 type, from the Sunan area near Pyongyang. It flew about 760 kilometers, peaking at an altitude of approximately 1,920km and reaching a top speed of Mach 15, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Although second-stage separation did occur, the detached warhead failed to maintain its intended trajectory and splashed into the East Sea just outside South Korea's exclusive economic zone around 8:10.

At around 8:39 a.m., North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from Kaechon in South Pyongan Province. The missiles traveled approximately 330 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 70 kilometers and a top speed of Mach 5.

In response to North Korea's firing of an ICBM, South Korea and the United States have agreed to hold joint air drills, Vigilant Storm, through by Oct. 5. In the wake of the announcement of the decision to extend the drills, the North shot three additional SRBMs into the East Sea between around 9:35 p.m. and 9:49 p.m.(KST) from Koksan County in North Hwanghae Province. It flew approximately 490km, reaching a maximum altitude of around 130km and a top speed of Mach 6.

At around 11:28 p.m., North Korea fired about 80 artillery shells into the military buffer zone in the East Sea from Keumgang, Kangwon Province, violating the 2018 agreement with South Korea designed to reduce military tension. (source: Korea Joongang Daily, Yonhap News)

(source: Korea Joongang Daily)

Nov. 4, 2022

The South Korean military spotted about 180 North Korean military aircraft between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., a day after Pyongyang is believed to have conducted the failed test of an ICBM over its inland areas as well as off the western and eastern coasts without approaching close to the inter-Korean border. The bombers conducted air-to-ground firing. (source: Yonhap News, CNN)

Nov. 5, 2022

North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the Yellow Sea from Tongrim County in North Pyongan Province between around 11:32 a.m. and 11:59 a.m.(KST) The missiles flew about 130 kilometers at an apogee of 20 km with a top speed of Mach 5. This provocation came on the last day of the Vigilant Storm exercise, the large-scale combined air drills of South Korea and the United States. Two U.S. B-1B Lancer strategic bombers staged joint drills with South Korean F-35A stealth fighter jets on Nov. 5. (source: Yonhap News)

Nov. 9, 2022

North Korea launched one short-range ballistic missile(SRBM) toward the East Sea from Sukchon, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:31 p.m. The missile flew 290 km at an apogee of 30 km at a top speed of Mach 6 and struck an uninhabited island in waters off the coast of the North's South Hamgyong Province. According to the South's defense authorities, the missile was assumed to be one of Pyongyang's new SRBMs, such as KN-23 or KN-24.

The North's provocation came as ballots are being counted in the U.S. mid-term elections on Nov. 8. And the South's military has been staging computer-simulated Taegeuk drills from Nov.7 to 10.

"A series of North Korean ballistic missile launches is a grave act of provocation that harms peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community, and a clear violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution," the South Joint Chiefs of Staff added, calling on Pyongyang to stop such destabilizing acts. (source: Yonhap News)

(source: Yonhap News)

Nov. 17, 2022

North Korea fired one short-range ballistic missile(SRBM) into the East Sea at 10:48 a.m. from the Wonsan area in Kangwon Province. The missile flew some 240 kilometers at an apogee of around 47 km at a top speed of Mach 4.

About one hour before the launch, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned that the North would take the fiercer military counteraction if the U.S. bolstered "extended deterrence" to its allies like South Korea and they intensified provocative military activities on the Korean peninsula, according to KCNA. (source: Yonhap News)

Nov. 18, 2022

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) toward the East Sea from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 10:15 a.m. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the missile was launched at a lofted angle and flew around 1,000 kilometers at an apogee of 6,100 km at a top speed of Mach 22. It landed around 200 kilometers west of Japan's Oshima Island, off the coast of Hokkaido, at around 11:23 a.m.

The North's KCNA reported that a new type of Hwasong-17 was launched from the Pyongyang International airport and flew 999.2 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 6,040.9 km for 4,135 seconds, landing in open waters in the East Sea. Kim Jong-un guided the test on the spot with his daughter, presumed to be Kim's second child, Ju-ae.

The Hwasong-17, dubbed "monster" for its size, is known to be capable of carrying multiple warheads with a range of around 15,000 km, enough to reach the entire U.S. mainland.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned North Korea's firing of an ICBM. However, the North Korean Foreign Minister criticized UN SG's attitude and warned him to consider the issue of the Korean peninsula based on impartiality and objectivity.

The EU also strongly condemned North Korea's ICBM provocations.

On Nov. 21, U.S.-led efforts to impose additional sanctions on North Korea failed due to the veto of China and Russia. The North insisted that the UNSC had applied "double standards" to North Korea.

Meanwhile, the U.S. staged a show of force by deploying B-2 Spirit strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear warheads to warn North Korea.