NK Missile Launch

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On July 19 North Korea fired three ballistic missiles in a row into the East Sea. This could be Pyongyang's response to Seoul's decision to deploy the anti-missile defense system THAAD. Here’s more.

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Experts say North Korea's recent firing of several ballistic missiles with a range covering the entire Korean Peninsula was part of psychological warfare against the South. Pyongyang's goal was to further ntensify the ongoing protests in the South against the deployment of the U.S. THAAD system on the Korean Peninsula. Analysts say that after threatening to make a physical response, Pyongyang wanted to demonstrate that its missiles can strike Seongju, the site of the THAAD system. In doing so, the North tried to stir anxiety in Seongju residents and instigate protests.

[Soundbite] Han Min-koo(Minister of Nat'l Defense) : "I view Pyongyang's actions as a kind of protest targeting the ongoing debates over THAAD in the South."

Joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which is slated for next month, could trigger yet another provocation from Pyongyang. Observers say that the North may raise military tensions through provocative acts in the western part of the Northern Limit Line or the Demilitarized Zone in order to create negative perception of the THAAD deployment and the South Korea-U.S. alliance.