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North Korea has deployed 250 new ballistic missile launchers to the country’s southern border with South Korea.
What’s the deal: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the deployment of 250 ballistic missile launchers to the southern border during a ceremonial event in Pyongyang. Kim said he had “personally-designed” the new weapon systems and called them an “up-to-date tactical attack weapon.” North Korean state media said the deployment was in direct response to South Korea’s “destabilizing actions.”

What South Korea is saying: Following the images released by North Korean media, a spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “We believe [the missile launchers] are intended to be used in various ways, such as to attack or threaten South Korea… Deploying near the border would mean that the range is not long.”

Digging Deeper: This action comes amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula following various military exercises. Recently, tensions have increased due to North Korean defectors sending leaflets over the border. In response, North Korea has sent thousands of balloons filled with trash. This escalation prompted South Korea to resume loudspeaker broadcasts at the border.


