North Korea’s no-sail warning expires without missile launches, suggesting ‘technical glitches’

North Korea usually issues a no-sail advisory before missile launches or other weapons tests to warn vessels to stay clear of certain areas

South Korea and the US have been conducting joint military drills, which North Korea has long denounced as rehearsals for invasion

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North Korea’s last known major missile tests occurred in March, when it fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Photo: AP

Published: 12:57pm, 19 Aug 2021Updated: 8:48pm, 19 Aug 2021

North Korea issued a no-sail zone for ships off its east coast earlier this week, indicating possible missile or artillery tests in response to joint South Korea-US military exercises. No further action has been reported, leading experts to suggest Pyongyang may have identified “technical glitches at the last moment”.

The warning was issued for Sunday and Monday, affecting the East Sea (Sea of Japan), Yonhap reported, citing South Korean military sources. A spokesman for Seoul’s defence ministry declined to comment on “matters of military intelligence”.

“The North’s military is still engaging in summertime military exercises,” he said. “South Korean and US intelligence authorities are in close cooperation in monitoring the North’s military movements.”

Japan’s Coast Guard also issued a navigational warning in the Sea of Japan for August 20 and August 22-25, citing possible North Korean missile tests.

North Korea has condemned South Korea and the US for conducting joint military drills, vowing to “make them realise by the minute what a dangerous choice they made and what a serious security crisis they will face because of their wrong choice”.

Yang Uk, a defence analyst at the Korea Defence Forum, said the North often seizes on US-South Korea military exercises as a pretext to test missiles or other weapons.

“The North may have found some technical glitches at the last moment as it was preparing weapons tests,” he said.