Seoul: North Korea launched multiple missiles towards the East Sea on Friday, prompting the United States to reaffirm its commitment to the defence of its regional allies while saying the launches posed no immediate threat.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff initially reported that Pyongyang had fired an unidentified projectile towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The US Pacific Command said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with Washington’s allies and partners.
“We are aware of the recent missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” the command said in a post on X.
“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region,” it added.
The command later updated its statement to say it was tracking multiple launches but stressed that its assessment that they posed no immediate threat remained unchanged.
The launches came a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan concluded their five-day trilateral Freedom Edge naval exercise.
The drills were conducted in international waters off South Korea’s southern Jeju Island.