Ballistic Missile Crashes in South Korea, U.S. Live-Fire Drill

A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed early Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States, Politico reports.

The U.S. and South Korea fired five missiles in a show of force against North Korea.

However, one of them failed shortly after launch and crashed into a military base, officials say.

More details: South Korean missile crashes into base during show of force https://t.co/UCM3Fvo1w5

— BNO News (@BNONews) October 5, 2022

South Korea's military apologises over failed missile, says warhead did not explode https://t.co/HmvTUJqR5i pic.twitter.com/hFnqa3C4zb

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 5, 2022

From BNO News:

Each side fired a pair of U.S.-made ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, where they hit mock targets to demonstrate the allies’ capability to respond to North Korean provocations, South Korea’s military said.

South Korea also tried to fire a South Korean-made Hyunmoo-2 missile from a military base in Gangneung, but the missile failed shortly after launch and crashed into the base, causing a large fire.

There were no reports of casualties.

The show of force came a day after North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan. It flew about 4,600 kilometers (2,860 miles) – further than any North Korean missile to date – before falling into the Pacific Ocean.

The failed missile panicked confused residents of a coastal city already uneasy over increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea, according to Politico.

The sound of the blast and subsequent fire led many in Gangneung to believe it could be a North Korean attack, concern that only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries have been reported from the accident, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile that crashed inside an air force base in the outskirts of the city.

The military said it was investigating what caused the “abnormal flight” of a missile that is a key weapon in South Korea’s preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North.

The military said the test was meant to be a show of strength by South Korea and the United States, following North Korea’s firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that crossed over Japan early Tuesday in North Korea’s most provocative weapons demonstration in years.

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Japan emergency alert: "North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate to the inside of a building or go to the basement. Target area: Hokkaido" pic.twitter.com/dhQLhcJozZ

— Dean of Deen (@Mulut_Cabai) October 4, 2022

BREAKING: Japan says North Korea has launched a missile, warns people to seek shelter immediately

— BNO News (@BNONews) October 3, 2022

ALERT: The Japanese government is warning that North Korea appears to have launched at least one ballistic missile. There's a possibility it's heading toward Japan. The government is urging everyone in the country to monitor news media. pic.twitter.com/pgoZaCMMsz

— U.S. Embassy Tokyo, ACS (@ACSTokyo) October 3, 2022