North Korea fired a barrage of approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Thursday, just hours after shrugging off a US decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea in a bid to restart diplomacy.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launches from the Pyongyang capital region at around 5 p.m. local time. The missiles flew approximately 300 kilometers, or 185 miles, each toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the launches and said the projectiles fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. No damage was reported.
Trump Orders Drills Scaled Back
The missile barrage came one day after the Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, the largest annual combined military drill between the United States and South Korea. The exercises, originally planned for 11 days from August 17 to 27, were cut to just five days and ended Friday, with the entire second phase of counterattack training cancelled.
President Trump had directed the Pentagon to make the drills smaller and less provocative to Pyongyang, reflecting his broader push to re-engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearization. But Kim’s sister delivered a dismissive response, and the regime responded with its largest missile launch in weeks.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield is a command-post simulation and combined field training exercise designed to enhance the allies’ ability to counter potential North Korean aggression. South Korea called the exercises purely defensive, while Pyongyang has routinely denounced them as rehearsals for invasion.
Missile Barrage Escalates Provocation Pattern
Thursday’s launch marked North Korea’s most significant missile activity since it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on August 12, also during the exercise period. The regime has now conducted multiple launches this month in what analysts describe as an effort to demonstrate its growing missile arsenal while rejecting US diplomatic overtures.
Kim Jong Un ordered a 2.5-fold increase in ballistic and cruise missile production earlier this year, and North Korea has been developing new models for various launch platforms including submarine-launched variants. The country’s cooperation with Russia on missile technology has also expanded its capabilities.
South Korea’s military said it bolstered surveillance and was closely coordinating with the United States and Japan on intelligence sharing. The launches are expected to complicate any near-term diplomatic engagement, even as the Trump administration continues to signal willingness to negotiate with Pyongyang.
Sources: South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff via Yonhap; AP News; Japan Ministry of Defense; Reuters; ABC News
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