North Korea Fires Multiple Missiles as US, South Korea Hold Drills
- North Korea has fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea during allied military drills involving South Korea and the United States
- South Korean and Japanese authorities had confirmed the missiles landed outside Japan’s economic zone with no reported damage
- The launches had dimmed diplomatic optimism following high level talks between Seoul and Washington
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North Korea launched a barrage of roughly 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea on Saturday, according to South Korea’s military, marking a pointed display of force amid joint drills by Seoul and Washington.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were fired from the Sunan area near Pyongyang’s international airport and traveled about 350 kilometers before landing at sea.
Source: Getty Images
Japanese authorities confirmed the weapons fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and reported no damage to aircraft or vessels, AP reported.
Tensions rise during allied drills
The missile activity unfolded as South Korean and United States forces pressed ahead with their annual spring exercises involving thousands of troops.
Seoul’s military said it has intensified surveillance and remains on heightened readiness while sharing real time intelligence with Washington and Tokyo.
The drills have drawn renewed scrutiny as Washington is also engaged in a widening conflict in the Middle East.
Local media in Seoul have speculated that some U.S. missile defense assets stationed in South Korea could be repositioned to support operations elsewhere. Those reports have fueled public concern about possible gaps in the country’s defenses.
South Korea’s presidential office declined to confirm details about U.S. military movements. Officials said any redeployment would not weaken the allies’ posture against a nuclear armed North Korea and pointed to Seoul’s conventional military capabilities.
Source: Getty Images
Diplomatic signals meet defiance
The launches came only hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where he voiced hope for renewed diplomacy with Pyongyang.
President Lee Jae Myung has sought to ease tensions with the North, and aides have suggested that Trump’s upcoming visit to China could open diplomatic space.
Saturday’s missile test appeared to counter that optimism. Pyongyang has hardened its stance toward Seoul in recent months and has urged Washington to abandon denuclearization demands before talks can resume.
North Korea routinely condemns allied drills as invasion rehearsals and often answers them with weapons demonstrations. In previous years, the North has staged salvo launches framed as simulations of nuclear strikes on South Korean targets.
Regional reactions and broader alignments
Earlier this week, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, criticized the drills and warned of “terrible consequences” if the country’s security is challenged.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has also denounced recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran while signaling support for Tehran’s new leadership.
The ongoing Freedom Shield exercise, which runs through March 19, focuses on command post coordination and computer simulated scenarios, alongside a related field training program.
Despite repeated calls from Seoul and Washington to revive talks stalled since 2019, Pyongyang has shown little interest, instead prioritizing closer ties with Russia through troop deployments and military support linked to the war in Ukraine.
Two killed after projectile strikes Saudi Arabia
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that amid the US-Iran war, a military projectile struck a residential compound used by a maintenance and cleaning company in Al-Kharj, and Saudi authorities confirmed this on Sunday. Two people were killed, and 12 others sustained injuries in the incident.
According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi Civil Defence said the projectile hit the residential site and caused damage to the facility. Emergency response teams arrived shortly after the incident and carried out standard rescue and safety procedures.
Source: Legit.ng
