South Korea’s presidential office denounced North Korea’s firing of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday and instructed its military to stay prepared during the ongoing joint exercises with the United States. Following the missile launches from the Pyongyang area towards the east of the Korean Peninsula, an emergency security meeting was convened by the presidential office with officials from the Defence Ministry and military authorities in attendance.
Describing the ballistic missile launch as a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions, the statement urged North Korea to immediately cease such provocative actions. South Korea’s response posture was reviewed, security implications were assessed, and necessary measures were discussed by the officials, as reported by the office.
The missiles flew approximately 300 kilometers towards the sea, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. This missile barrage occurred after South Korean and U.S. militaries announced a reduction in their 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are scheduled to conclude by the end of Friday.
President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction in the exercises just before they commenced on Monday, citing a positive relationship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s non-participation in U.S. activities related to Iran. When asked about a potential meeting with Kim this year, Trump confirmed his intention to do so and mentioned North Korea’s possession of 57 potent nuclear weapons, a figure he specified for the first time. South Korean officials estimate the number of North Korean nuclear warheads to be between 80 and 120.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a prominent spokesperson for the regime, rejected Trump’s outreach on Wednesday, emphasizing that the nature of the military drills remains provocative and aggressive despite their reduced scale. She criticized previous U.S.-South Korea military exercises and South Korea’s efforts to introduce nuclear-powered submarines. Kim Yo Jong acknowledged the strong personal relations between her brother and Trump but denied any response from Kim to Trump’s request for a conversation.
A professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, Yang Moo-jin, suggested that the missile launch was intended to reinforce the seriousness of Kim Yo Jong’s warning from the day before. He speculated that the launch served multiple purposes, including opposition to the South Korea-U.S. military exercises, dissatisfaction with discussions about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, and a caution to external powers regarding speculation on Pyongyang’s security matters.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has questioned the expenses of maintaining around 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea, despite the existing cost-sharing agreement between the allies covering 2026 to 2030. Under this agreement, Seoul is set to contribute approximately 1.52 trillion won ($1.1 billion US) for the support of American troops this year. However, Trump continues to argue that South Korea’s contribution is inadequate.
Japan’s government and coast guard also indicated that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile towards the sea on Thursday. The missile seemed to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the sea, as reported by NHK. During his visit to Seoul, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged South Korea to remain neutral between Beijing and Washington and called for the U.S. to abandon its hostile policy towards North Korea. Wang expressed China’s desire for peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea and highlighted the recent strengthening of ties between China and North Korea through meetings between Kim and Xi Jinping.