South Korea’s presidential office has denounced North Korea’s firing of more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday and instructed its military to stay fully prepared during the ongoing joint exercises with the United States. An emergency security meeting was called by the presidential office, with officials from the Defence Ministry and military authorities in attendance, following North Korea’s missile launch from the Pyongyang area towards the east of the Korean Peninsula. The office stated that the ballistic missile launch is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions and demanded that North Korea immediately cease such actions. South Korea’s response posture was evaluated by officials, security implications of the launches were assessed, and necessary measures were discussed, as reported by the office.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles traveled approximately 300 kilometers towards the sea. This missile barrage occurred the day after both the South Korean and U.S. militaries announced a reduction in their 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are set to conclude by the end of Friday. President Donald Trump had instructed the Pentagon to significantly scale back the exercise just before it commenced on Monday, citing a positive relationship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support the U.S. in its actions towards Iran.
In response to whether he would meet with Kim this year, Trump confirmed, “Yeah, I will be.” Trump also mentioned that North Korea possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, marking the first time he disclosed that figure, whereas South Korean officials estimate the number to be between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a prominent spokesperson for the regime, dismissed Trump’s outreach on Wednesday, emphasizing that the nature of the drills remains provocative and aggressive despite their reduced duration and size. She warned that the U.S. should not anticipate a favorable response if it views its recent actions as goodwill gestures.
The launch of the missiles was analyzed by Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, who suggested that the launch was aimed at reinforcing Kim Yo Jong’s earlier warning and conveying opposition to the South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Yang highlighted that the launch could also be a signal against discussions on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and a caution to external powers regarding Pyongyang’s security affairs.
During his first year as president in 2017, Trump expressed strong disapproval of North Korean missile tests and threatened the regime with “fire and fury.” Despite later meetings with Kim, no substantial diplomatic breakthrough was achieved. Trump has repeatedly questioned the cost of maintaining about 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea, insisting that Seoul remains a vital ally. The allies have a cost-sharing agreement until 2030, with Seoul contributing approximately 1.52 trillion won ($1.1 billion US) this year towards the U.S. troops’ upkeep. However, Trump continues to argue that South Korea’s contribution is insufficient.
Japan’s government and coast guard reported that North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea on Thursday. The missile was said to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to Seoul, urged South Korea to remain neutral between Beijing and Washington, advocating for the U.S. to alter its policy towards North Korea. Wang expressed China’s support for peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea, highlighting the recent strengthening of ties between China and North Korea through meetings between Kim and Xi Jinping.
