North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles into the sea
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, according to South Korean military officials. This development occurred just hours after joint military exercises between South Korean and United States forces commenced, as part of their annual large-scale drills. These exercises are routinely perceived by North Korea as a rehearsal for invasion.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff have reported the detection of missile launches from North Korea’s Hwanghae province, marking the fifth such event by Pyongyang this year. Specific details regarding the missiles’ trajectories or distance traveled have not been disclosed. In response, South Korea has heightened its surveillance efforts and is maintaining close coordination with the United States.
On Monday, South Korean and United States military forces initiated their annual joint exercises, which are set to continue for 11 days. Known as the Freedom Shield command post exercise, this operation commenced following a temporary suspension of live-fire drills by both nations. This pause was implemented while South Korean authorities conduct an investigation into a recent incident where two of its fighter jets inadvertently targeted a civilian area during preparatory maneuvers last week.
The commencement of the military exercises has been met with condemnation from nuclear-armed North Korea. The North Korean government released a statement labeling the drills as a “dangerous provocative act,” alleging that they escalate the potential for military conflict.
Approximately 30 individuals sustained injuries, including two in critical condition, after a misfire involving two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets resulted in the discharge of eight MK-82 bombs over a civilian area in Pocheon, a town situated near the North Korean border, on Thursday. The incident took place during a live-fire exercise conducted by South Korean and US military forces as a preliminary operation to the extensive Freedom Shield exercise.
In a briefing held with domestic press on Monday, officials from the South Korean Air Force reaffirmed their previous assessment that a pilot operating a KF-16 aircraft had mistakenly entered incorrect coordinates for a designated bombing target.
