North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the Yellow Sea on Monday, following its denunciation of the ongoing Freedom Shield joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang labeled these drills as a “dangerous provocative act” that could inadvertently trigger conflict.
The missiles, identified as short-range ballistic types with ranges under 300 kilometers, were fired from North Korea’s western region. This marks the first such test since U.S. President Donald Trump commenced his second term in January.
In response, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command condemned the launches, urging North Korea to “refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts,” while affirming that the situation posed no immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies.
The Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled to run until March 20, aim to bolster alliance readiness against threats like North Korea. However, live-fire components of the drills have been suspended after South Korean jets accidentally bombed a civilian area near the border last week, injuring 29 people. South Korea’s Air Force chief publicly apologized for the incident, attributing it to targeting errors.
North Korea has consistently criticized U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, viewing them as rehearsals for invasion, thereby escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
