North Korea launched more than 10 ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday, according to South Korea's military, as the United States and South Korea conducted joint military drills. The missiles were fired from an area near the capital Pyongyang at around 1.20pm local time, heading towards the sea off the country's east coast.
Japan's coast guard detected what appeared to be a ballistic missile that fell into the sea, reportedly outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to public broadcaster NHK. The launch comes amid ongoing US-South Korea military exercises, which Seoul and Washington describe as purely defensive but which Pyongyang condemns as dress rehearsals for invasion.
The missile test also coincides with renewed diplomatic overtures from US President Donald Trump towards North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. On Thursday, South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met Trump in Washington to discuss reopening dialogue, which has been suspended since 2019. Kim said Trump expressed willingness to meet Kim Jong-un, potentially during an upcoming visit to China.
North Korea has been under UN Security Council sanctions since 2006 for its nuclear and missile programmes. Despite these restrictions, the country continues to develop its weapons capabilities, including ballistic and cruise missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads. Pyongyang has recently dismissed South Korea's peace efforts as a 'clumsy, deceptive farce'.
