North Korea fires missiles as US, South Korea begin major joint military exercise

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, just hours after South Korea and the United States kicked off their first major joint military exercise of President Donald Trump’s second term. The missile firings were detected from North Korea’s southwestern Hwanghae Province, with the weapons being described as close-range. In response, South Korea’s military has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated, \”We are aware of the DPRK’s multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners. The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad.\”

The missile launches coincided with the start of the annual Freedom Shield exercise between South Korean and U.S. forces. Freedom Shield is an 11-day exercise that simulates the Korea Theater of Operations, involving combined, joint, multi-domain, and interagency operations. The exercise includes various field training events such as urban combat operations, field hospital operations, mass casualty treatment and evacuation, air assault training, and more.

However, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has denounced the exercises as an \”aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal.\” The ministry stated that the joint military exercises are provocative and could escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.

This year’s training comes after a recent incident where South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire training exercise with the U.S. The accident occurred in Pocheon, near the border with North Korea, injuring multiple people and damaging buildings. The South Korean air force attributed the incident to pilot error and has issued apologies for the harm caused.

In light of the recent missile launches and the ongoing military exercises, tensions in the region remain high. It is crucial for all parties involved to exercise caution and avoid actions that could further escalate the situation. The international community will be closely monitoring developments on the Korean peninsula as efforts are made to maintain stability and peace in the region.