North Korea has launched several ballistic missiles off its west coast into the sea as South Korea and the United States began their annual joint military exercises, known as the Freedom Shield drills. This marks North Korea’s fifth missile launch of the year.
The missile launch came on the same day that the drills began, which are scheduled to continue until March 20. North Korea condemned the exercises, calling them a “dangerous provocative act” that heightens the risk of military conflict. Pyongyang has consistently criticized joint military drills by Seoul and Washington, seeing them as rehearsals for invasion.
The Freedom Shield drills are the first large-scale joint exercises since US President Donald Trump began his second term. Trump, who met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un three times during his first term, has expressed interest in renewing US-North Korea diplomatic efforts. However, North Korea has not responded to his overtures and continues to maintain its harsh rhetoric against both the US and South Korea.
In its statement, North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Kim Jong Un’s focus on the “radical growth” of his nuclear forces to counter what Pyongyang views as increasing threats from the US and its allies.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Shield exercises began shortly after South Korea and US forces paused live-fire training following an incident where two South Korean fighter jets mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, near the North Korean border. The bombing injured about 30 people, with two suffering serious injuries.
General Lee Youngsu, South Korea’s Air Force Chief of Staff, expressed his apologies for the incident, calling the attack “unacceptable” and vowing that such a mistake would not happen again.
