South Korea’s presidential office strongly criticized North Korea’s firing of over 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday. The office called for heightened military readiness during the ongoing joint exercises with the United States. An emergency security meeting was held, with officials from the Defence Ministry and military present, following the missile launches from Pyongyang towards the eastern sea of the Korean Peninsula. The ballistic missile activity was denounced as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, with a call for North Korea to cease such actions immediately.
South Korean officials assessed the security implications of the missile launches and discussed response measures. The missiles traveled approximately 300 kilometers towards the sea, as confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missile launches occurred shortly after South Korea and the U.S. announced a reduction in their 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, with U.S. President Donald Trump ordering a substantial decrease in the exercises prior to their commencement.
Trump mentioned a stockpile of 57 potent nuclear weapons in North Korea, marking the first time he disclosed this figure. South Korean authorities estimate the number of nuclear warheads in North Korea to be between 80 and 120. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Trump’s gestures and criticized the reduced military exercises, emphasizing that the nature of the drills remained provocative and aggressive despite the downsizing.
The missile launch was interpreted as a signal against the South Korea-U.S. military exercises, dissatisfaction with discussions on North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, and a warning to outside powers regarding Pyongyang’s security matters. Trump’s past reactions to North Korean missile tests were marked by strong rhetoric, but subsequent meetings with Kim Jong Un failed to yield significant diplomatic progress. The cost of maintaining U.S. troops in South Korea has been a recurring point of contention, with Trump arguing that Seoul should contribute more, despite an existing cost-sharing agreement.
Japan reported that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile towards the sea, with the projectile falling outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to Seoul, encouraged South Korea to maintain neutrality between Beijing and Washington and advised the U.S. to alter its approach towards North Korea. Wang emphasized China’s support for peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea, highlighting recent strengthening of ties between China and North Korea.