North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
The missile launches occurred as South Korea and the United States conducted a scaled-down version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises, following a decision by the Trump administration to reduce the scope of the drills.
North Korea has repeatedly condemned joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, describing them as preparations for an invasion. Pyongyang has frequently responded to such exercises with missile tests.
Trump, who has expressed interest in reviving the relationship he established with Kim during his first term, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he planned to meet the North Korean leader later this year.
The US president also stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with Kim, claiming that North Korea now possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons. South Korea, however, estimates that Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal contains between 80 and 120 weapons.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area towards the East Sea at around 5pm local time.
The projectiles travelled approximately 300 kilometres, while South Korean and US authorities continued analysing their precise specifications.
Following the launches, South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting and condemned the tests as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Authorities also instructed the military to maintain heightened readiness in response to the latest provocation.
Trump’s renewed focus on engaging with Kim, combined with the reduction in the scale of US-South Korean military exercises, has raised concerns among some US allies in Asia.
The developments have also fuelled speculation that Trump could be seeking a major foreign policy breakthrough amid delays surrounding the Iran war.
Kim’s sister and senior North Korean official, Kim Yo Jong, said on Wednesday that her brother still had “good memories and feelings” about Trump and described the relationship between the two leaders as “excellent”.
However, she said she was not aware of any current communication between Trump and Kim.
Her comments came shortly after Seoul announced that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises would end on Friday, approximately one week earlier than originally scheduled, following a request from the US side.
