(2nd LD) N. Korea fires barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: S. Korean military

Missile Launch and Immediate Response

North Korea fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, according to South Korea's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected approximately 10 missiles launched from the Pyongyang area at around 5 p.m. local time, with reports from South Korean media citing the JCS saying the number was roughly a dozen. The South Korean military said it has stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible additional launches while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan, maintaining a full readiness posture.

The Japanese prime minister's office also reported detecting a suspected missile launch. Following the launches, South Korea's presidential national security council held an emergency meeting and issued a statement urging North Korea to halt ballistic missile launches, which are banned under UN Security Council resolutions, as reported by South Korea's Yonhap news agency and other outlets.

The launch came amid the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, the annual combined military drills between South Korea and the United States. On Wednesday, Seoul and Washington announced they would cut the 11-day exercise short by six days, ending it on Friday. The decision followed an order from US President Donald Trump to "substantially reduce" the drills, which he described on social media as sending an "inappropriate and hostile" message to Pyongyang. Trump cited his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea's refusal to support him over the war in Iran as reasons for the scale-back, according to reporting by The Times of India and The Guardian.

North Korea's Dismissal of the Overture

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the drill reduction in a statement late Wednesday, saying it was "unworthy of comment." She said that "reducing the scale or duration of the exercises does not change the essence of the military maneuvers, which are provocative and aggressive in nature." Kim Yo-jong also warned that if the US calculates it can present its recent measure as "so-called good faith," it will not get the desired answer. However, she refrained from the typical fiery rhetoric, and according to The Guardian, she maintained that relations with Trump remain "still excellent," while denying that Kim Jong-un had responded to a conversation request from the US president. Trump has said he plans to meet Kim later this year.

The missile launch came about a week after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile eastward on August 12, Yonhap reported. The latest barrage was widely seen as a response to the ongoing drills, which North Korea has long denounced as rehearsals for invasion. Before the drills began, North Korea had vowed to respond with "a new level of a deterrent," according to ABC Australia's reporting.

Diplomatic and Military Coordination

On Friday, senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan held telephone consultations to share information and discuss responses following the missile launches, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Baek Yong-jin, director general for Korean Peninsula policy at the ministry, spoke with David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary for Northeast Asia at the US State Department, and Takashi Ariyoshi, deputy director-general at the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau. The ministry said the three officials shared relevant information and discussed future responses, noting that the three countries operate a channel for promptly sharing information and assessments whenever North Korea launches ballistic missiles.

The US military also weighed in. US Pacific Command released a statement saying it is aware of the recent missile launches and is consulting closely with allies and partners, adding that based on current assessments, these events do not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to allies. The command reiterated the US commitment to the defense of the homeland and regional allies.

Broader Regional Context

The missile launch occurred amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Trump has expressed willingness to resume dialogue with Kim, whom he met three times during his first term. Nuclear talks have been dormant since their 2019 meeting in Hanoi ended without a deal. Earlier this month, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan after criticizing Japan's military build-up, according to ABC Australia.

In a separate development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a visit to South Korea, urged the United States to abandon its "hostile" policy toward North Korea and advised South Korea not to take sides between Beijing and Washington, as reported by ABC Australia. Wang's remarks added a regional dimension to the crisis, with China placing the blame for tensions on US policy rather than on North Korea's missile tests.