North Korea fired “multiple” short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern coast on Saturday, a day after South Korea concluded trilateral military drills with the U.S. and Japan.
The South Korean military said it was analyzing the launches and sharing information with the U.S. and Japan. The missiles, launched from the eastern Wonsan area, flew about 250 kilometers.
The North appears to have fired its Hwasong-11 series of ballistic missiles and rounds from 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers in successive order across several occasions, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified sources.
The U.S. Pacific Command said it was aware of the launches and was “consulting closely” with allies and partners. “The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies.”
North Korea labeled this week’s Freedom Edge maritime drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan a “threat” and claimed that Washington “is perpetrating air espionage and other anti-DPRK military provocations one after another.” DRPK is the acronym for North Korea’s formal name.
Last month, Pyongyang fired off a barrage of around 10 short-range ballistic missiles, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
But North Korea has poured cold water on the idea of talks, saying the Trump administration has “fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK.”
Experts say Trump will face an uphill battle in rekindling his relationship with Kim. The North Korean leader has said talks would only happen on his terms, which include recognizing his country as a nuclear power and ending what Pyongyang says is a “hostile” U.S. policy toward the pariah state.
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