South Korea’s presidential office has strongly criticized North Korea’s firing of over 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday. The office has instructed its military to remain 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 launch of the missiles from the Pyongyang area towards the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.
The ballistic missile launch has been deemed a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The statement from the presidential office urged North Korea to cease such actions immediately. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles traveled approximately 300 kilometers towards the sea.
The missile launches occurred a day after the South Korean and U.S. militaries announced a reduction in their 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which were set to conclude by the end of Friday. President Donald Trump ordered a significant decrease in the exercise just before it commenced, citing a positive relationship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s non-support in the U.S.’s actions in Iran.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a spokesperson for the regime, dismissed Trump’s gestures later, emphasizing that the reduction in the drills did not alter their aggressive nature. She also mentioned other military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea earlier in the year and South Korea’s plans to introduce nuclear-powered submarines.
According to Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, the missile launch was likely meant to emphasize the seriousness of previous warnings by Kim Yo Jong. The launch may have served various purposes, including opposing the South Korea-U.S. military exercises, expressing dissatisfaction with discussions on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, and cautioning external powers against speculating on Pyongyang’s security matters.
Trump’s history with North Korea, including his initial fiery rhetoric in 2017 and subsequent meetings with Kim Jong Un without significant diplomatic progress, has been highlighted. The cost of maintaining U.S. troops in South Korea has been a recurring point of contention, despite the cost-sharing agreement between the allies covering troop upkeep.
Japan’s government and coast guard reported that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile towards the sea, with the projectile falling outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to Seoul, encouraged South Korea to maintain neutrality between Beijing and Washington and suggested that the U.S. should change its “hostile” stance towards North Korea. Wang expressed China’s desire for peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea.
