The South Korean military announced on Thursday that North Korea launched approximately ten short-range ballistic missiles, coming hours after US President Donald Trump stated his intention to meet with leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
اضافة اعلان
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that North Korean authorities "launched around ten short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area at approximately 5:00 PM. No additional details were immediately available," according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The JCS stated that the military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance in anticipation of potential further launches, adding that South Korea, the United States, and Japan maintain full readiness while closely sharing information regarding North Korean ballistic missiles.
The latest launch comes about a week after Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile eastward on August 12.
It also coincided with joint military exercises held this week by South Korea and the United States, which were reduced in duration and scope following an order by US President Donald Trump to scale back the drills.
On Wednesday, South Korea and the United States announced they would shorten the duration of their joint annual military exercises to five days instead of the previous 11 days, and reduce the scale of certain field maneuvers after President Trump ordered a significant reduction in US participation.
This shift in training comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday for regional security talks expected to address the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the move, stating that the nature of the exercises remains provocative and aggressive despite the reduced scope and duration.
These changes followed an order issued by Trump on Sunday for a "significant reduction" in US involvement in the drills, attributing the decision to what he described as a "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Monday, Trump added that Kim had responded to his gestures, without elaborating further.
Pyongyang consistently condemns joint US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as rehearsals for invasion, while Washington and Seoul maintain that the drills are defensive in nature and essential for maintaining readiness against military threats from North Korea.
