North Korea launches missile salvo after US-South Korea-Japan drills
North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea following joint military drills between the US, South Korea, and Japan. South Korean officials are monitoring the situation closely and have condemned the launches as a violation of UN resolutions.
Why it matters
The launches represent a continued escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, testing the defensive readiness of the US-South Korea alliance.
North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Saturday.
The missiles were launched at around 5.20am and flew about 250 km (155 miles), the JCS said in a statement, adding that South Korean and US authorities were conducting a detailed analysis of their specifications.
South Korean and US intelligence authorities had tracked and shared information on the launches from the outset, while information on the ballistic missiles was also shared with Japan, the JCS said.
“South Korea’s military is closely monitoring North Korean activity and maintaining the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation under its combined defence posture with the United States,” the JCS said in a statement.
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