South Korea’s presidential office has condemned North Korea’s firing of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday. In response, the office has directed the military to maintain full readiness during joint exercises with the United States. An emergency security meeting was promptly convened by the presidential office, with officials from the Defence Ministry and military authorities in attendance. The missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area towards the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, violating UN Security Council resolutions, the office stated. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles flew approximately 300 kilometers before landing in the sea.
This missile launch by North Korea occurred following the announcement of a scaling back of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, a joint military operation between South Korea and the U.S. U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered a substantial reduction in the exercises, citing a positive relationship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s reluctance to support U.S. actions in Iran. Trump also mentioned that North Korea possesses around 57 potent nuclear weapons, a figure he disclosed for the first time, while South Korean officials estimate the number to be between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed Trump’s outreach, emphasizing that reducing the duration and size of military drills does not alter their provocative nature. She highlighted previous military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea earlier in the year, as well as South Korea’s efforts to introduce nuclear-powered submarines. The launch of the missiles was seen as a strategic move to convey messages about North Korea’s security decisions and to potentially test enhanced missile systems.
Despite Trump’s initial confrontations with North Korea during his presidency, which led to threats of “fire and fury,” he later engaged in diplomatic meetings with Kim Jong Un without significant progress. Trump’s questioning of the cost of maintaining U.S. troops in South Korea has been an ongoing issue, even with a cost-sharing agreement in place. Meanwhile, Japan reported that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile towards the sea, with the projectile falling outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to Seoul, urged South Korea to remain neutral between Beijing and Washington and encouraged the U.S. to change its “hostile” stance towards North Korea. Wang expressed China’s support for peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea, highlighting the strengthened ties between China and North Korea in recent times.