North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles into the eastern sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, in a show of force coinciding with joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises.
The missiles were launched from Sunan, near Pyongyang’s international airport, and flew about 350 km (220 miles), landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. No damage to ships or aircraft was reported.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said they have increased surveillance and remain on high alert for additional launches while sharing information closely with the U.S. and Japan.
The salvo came hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, aiming to explore renewed diplomacy with Pyongyang. However, the launches signal North Korea’s defiance, as it has hardened its stance toward Seoul and urged Washington to drop denuclearization preconditions.
North Korea has historically described U.S.-South Korea drills as invasion rehearsals, using them to justify missile tests or military demonstrations. Its leader’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, condemned the ongoing drills as destabilizing, warning of “terrible consequences” for challenges to North Korean security.
The current 11-day “Freedom Shield” exercise, running through March 19, is a largely simulated command-post drill designed to test joint operational capabilities, complemented by a field program called “Warrior Shield.”
Separately, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and expressed support for Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Analysts note Pyongyang is increasingly aligning with Russia, sending troops and military aid to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for arms and technology.
The missile launch heightens regional tensions amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and raises concerns about security gaps in South Korea, especially as reports circulate that some U.S. missile defense assets may be temporarily redeployed to the Middle East.
