North Korea launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Thursday, hours after United States President Donald Trump said he is to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
The launches came as South Korea and the US conduct a shortened version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises, following a decision by Washington to reduce the scale of the drills.
North Korea has repeatedly criticised joint US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as preparations for an invasion and frequently responding with weapons tests during or around the exercises.
Trump, who has expressed interest in rebuilding the relationship he developed with Kim during his first term, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he intended to meet the North Korean leader again before the end of the year.
The US President also said maintaining a relationship with Kim was important, claiming that North Korea currently possessed 57 nuclear weapons. South Korean estimates put the number significantly higher, at between 80 and 120 warheads.
The missile launches occurred several hours after Trump’s remarks. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were fired from the Pyongyang area at about 5pm and travelled approximately 300 kilometres before landing in the East Sea.
South Korean and US authorities were analysing the launches to determine the precise specifications and capabilities of the missiles.
Following the launches, South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting and condemned the weapons tests as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The government also ordered the military to maintain heightened readiness in response to the latest developments.
Trump’s renewed interest in engaging Kim, combined with the scaling back of the US-South Korean exercises, has raised questions among some of Washington’s Asian allies and fuelled speculation about the administration’s broader foreign policy priorities.
Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, said on Wednesday that her brother retained positive memories of Trump and described their relationship as “excellent”. She, however, said she was not aware of any current communication between the two leaders.
Her comments came shortly before Seoul announced that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises would conclude on Friday, roughly a week earlier than initially scheduled, following a request from the United States.
The Pentagon said the shortened exercise would not compromise its training objectives.
The annual drills are intended to strengthen the readiness of US and South Korean forces in the event of a potential North Korean attack.
The United States maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its long-standing security commitment to Seoul, which dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War. The conflict ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
Meanwhile, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Seoul continued to oppose any formal recognition of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.
When asked whether the United States had abandoned its goal of denuclearising North Korea, Ahn said he did not believe Washington had given up on the objective.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has advocated strengthening the country’s domestic defence capabilities to reduce its dependence on Washington, said he would support Trump’s efforts to pursue dialogue and peace with Pyongyang.
North Korea fires missiles hours after Trump signals Kim meeting