Tensions rise on Korean Peninsula as both sides test missiles

Analysts say Kim Jong Un wants to strengthen leverage over U.S.

20210916 NK firing the missile from the train

North Korea fires a ballistic missile from a train in a central part of the country on Wednesday. © KCNA/Kyodo

GABRIELA BERNAL, Contributing writer

September 16, 2021 15:30 JST

SEOUL -- Missile tests this week by both North and South Korea have raised tensions on the peninsula, as Pyongyang looks to strengthen its leverage over Washington, and Seoul continues to bolster its defensive prowess.

North Korea's claim it fired a long-range cruise missile at the weekend was followed on Wednesday with the launch of two ballistic missiles that Japan said landed in its exclusive economic zone. Also Wednesday, South Korea conducted its first-ever official test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).