North Korea has fired missiles into the sea in response to a joint US-South Korea military exercise. Around 10 ballistic missiles were fired from near Pyongyang’s international airport on Saturday (March 14) as a show of force after the 11-day military exercise held by its “most hostile enemy”.
The missiles flew some 220 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It came just hours after South Korean Prime Minister, Kim Min-seok, met with Donald Trump in Washington. In response, South Korea has ramped up its surveillance. Following the escalation of tensions, experts have expressed concern that the launches could undermine the diplomatic efforts made by both sides.
The US and South Korea are currently participating in Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint military exercise held between the two sides every year. North Korea has long described them as invasion rehearsals – often citing them as a reason to dial up weapons testing.
The drill, which began on Monday (March 9), is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise and will be accompanied by a field training programme.
Last week, dictator Kim Jong Un’s sister criticised Washington and Seoul for continuing their drills amid such global uncertainty. Kim Yo Jong said the drills undermine regional stability at a time when the global security structure is “collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of outrageous international rogues.”
In recent months, North Korea has hardened their stance towards Seoul, with Kim labelling it their “most hostile enemy” at the weeklong Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang last month. Kim said his country could “initiate arbitrary action” and “completely destroy” South Korea if its security was threatened.
The missile launches on Saturday come just days after Kim was pictured alongside his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as the country carried out missile tests from a naval destroyer. Images from state news agency KCNA show the North Korean leader and the child in a conference room looking at a screen showing weapons being fired from the Choe Hyon destroyer.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Kim appeared to be taking steps to name his daughter as his successor. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believes the girl, thought to be around 13 years old, is already providing input on policy matters.