North Korea fires about 10 ballistic missiles amid US–South Korea drills

Launch comes days after cruise missile test from new warship and as tensions rise over Iran strike and nuclear recognition demand

• North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, in a fresh escalation on the Korean Peninsula that coincides with ongoing US–South Korea joint military exercises.
• South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches were detected earlier in the day, according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap.
• The launches come just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a second cruise missile test this week from the country’s newest warship, signalling continued weapons development by Pyongyang.
• Missile lands outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone
• Japan also confirmed the launch earlier on Saturday.
• The Japan Coast Guard said a missile had been fired and that a suspected ballistic missile likely splashed down in the sea.
• Public broadcaster NHK, citing a Japanese defence ministry official, reported that the projectile landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed authorities to gather information on the launch and ensure the safety of aircraft and vessels, according to a statement from her office.
• No immediate reports of damage or casualties were available.
• Launch coincides with US–South Korea military drills
• The missile firing comes while annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea are underway.
• The drills are scheduled to run from March 9 to March 19 and are designed to strengthen military coordination between the two allies.
• North Korea has long criticised the exercises, accusing Washington and Seoul of staging rehearsals for war and often responding with weapons tests during the drills.
• Rising tensions and nuclear recognition demand
• The launch also follows a series of recent political signals from Pyongyang.
• At its first ruling Workers’ Party congress in five years, North Korea called on Washington to recognise it as a nuclear state.
• Pyongyang has also criticised the United States for what it described as a “shameless” attack on Iran, adding another geopolitical dimension to the tensions.
• Last month, Kim Jong Un suggested that relations with Washington could improve if the US formally acknowledged North Korea’s nuclear status.
• Diplomacy still being discussed
• Despite the latest missile launch, diplomatic engagement has not been completely ruled out.
• Yonhap earlier reported that US President Donald Trump remained hopeful of meeting Kim Jong Un during his upcoming visit to China.
• South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok told Trump at a White House meeting that President Lee Jae Myung views the US leader as the only figure capable of resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to the report.

Did our AI summary help?

North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, in a fresh escalation on the Korean Peninsula that coincides with ongoing US–South Korea joint military exercises.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches were detected earlier in the day, according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The launches come just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a second cruise missile test this week from the country’s newest warship, signalling continued weapons development by Pyongyang.

Missile lands outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone

Japan also confirmed the launch earlier on Saturday.

The Japan Coast Guard said a missile had been fired and that a suspected ballistic missile likely splashed down in the sea.

Public broadcaster NHK, citing a Japanese defence ministry official, reported that the projectile landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed authorities to gather information on the launch and ensure the safety of aircraft and vessels, according to a statement from her office.

No immediate reports of damage or casualties were available.

Launch coincides with US–South Korea military drills

The missile firing comes while annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea are underway.

The drills are scheduled to run from March 9 to March 19 and are designed to strengthen military coordination between the two allies.

North Korea has long criticised the exercises, accusing Washington and Seoul of staging rehearsals for war and often responding with weapons tests during the drills.

Rising tensions and nuclear recognition demand

The launch also follows a series of recent political signals from Pyongyang.

At its first ruling Workers’ Party congress in five years, North Korea called on Washington to recognise it as a nuclear state.

Pyongyang has also criticised the United States for what it described as a “shameless” attack on Iran, adding another geopolitical dimension to the tensions.

Last month, Kim Jong Un suggested that relations with Washington could improve if the US formally acknowledged North Korea’s nuclear status.

Diplomacy still being discussed

Despite the latest missile launch, diplomatic engagement has not been completely ruled out.

Yonhap earlier reported that US President Donald Trump remained hopeful of meeting Kim Jong Un during his upcoming visit to China.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok told Trump at a White House meeting that President Lee Jae Myung views the US leader as the only figure capable of resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to the report.