North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Saturday, a day after South Korea, the United States, and Japan concluded five days of joint military exercises.
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The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the projectiles were fired from the Wonsan area, on North Korea’s east coast, around 5:20 local time, and traveled approximately 250 kilometers.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities tracked the launches from their initial stage and exchanged information with Japan, according to the South Korean military body.
The presidential office of South Korea subsequently convened an emergency meeting to assess the security situation and review possible response measures.
The government of Lee Jae Myung also called to maintain an “impeccable readiness posture” and urged Pyongyang to “immediately cease such launches,” which it described as a “serious” violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The tests occurred a day after the end of “Freedom Edge”, a series of joint maneuvers by South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
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According to the U.S. military, the exercises brought together maritime, air, medical, and cyber forces from the three countries over five days and were aimed at “improving coordination, optimizing interoperability, and strengthening trilateral defensive readiness.”
North Korea had previously questioned these maneuvers. During the week, North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song-gi threatened to take countermeasures against the exercises, while Pyongyang described them as a “threat” to North Korea and other countries in the region.
The exercises took place after South Korea and the United States reduced the scope of their annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” maneuvers in August, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to scale them back.
That same month, North Korea had conducted another series of launches towards the sea. The tests occurred despite Trump expressing his intention to meet again this year with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
