North Korea launches missiles amid US‑South Korea drills
North Korea launched several unidentified ballistic missiles towards the Yellow Sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The missiles were launched from Hwanghae Province. The JCS assured that they have enhanced surveillance and readiness to cooperate with the United States.
The missile launch coincided with the start of the military exercises Freedom Shield 2025, involving the armed forces of South Korea and the US. These exercises will last for 11 days.
North Korea's foreign ministry condemned these actions, describing them as a "provocative act." In a statement, it warned of the possibility of war being triggered by "an accidental single shot."
In the past, North Korea has frequently conducted missile tests in response to joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington. Although South Korea and the US assure that the manoeuvres are defensive in nature, Pyongyang perceives them as a threat. Last Friday, the North warned participants of the exercises that they will pay a "horrible price" for Freedom Shield 2025.
North Korea threatens again
This is the first instance of North Korea launching a ballistic missile since 20 January, when Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as the President of the US. The last missile test occurred on 6 January, when Pyongyang conducted a test of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead.
At that time, North Korean media reported on the "successful test of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a hypersonic warhead."
