North Korea launched more than 10 ballistic missiles toward the sea on Saturday, South Korean military officials announced, as South Korean and U.S. forces conduct joint military exercises in the region.
According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired from an area near Pyongyang at approximately 13:20 p.m. local time, toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula. The United States and South Korea are currently conducting their annual military exercises, known as Freedom Shield.
The Japanese coast guard also reported detecting what could be a ballistic missile that fell into the sea. According to public broadcaster NHK, the missile landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
The joint military exercises conducted by Washington and Seoul involve hundreds of soldiers and heavy equipment, including tanks and armored vehicles, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. US authorities describe these maneuvers as purely defensive and intended to strengthen the country's ability to respond to threats from Pyongyang.
For more than twenty years, North Korea has regularly conducted ballistic and cruise missile tests as part of its military program. Pyongyang claims to have developed capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons.
These activities have led to the adoption of several rounds of sanctions by the UN Security Council since 2006. Despite these measures, the North Korean regime continues its tests, regularly denouncing US-South Korean military exercises which it considers provocations.
