Seoul, South Korea – North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast on Monday, as tensions escalate in response to a recent U.S. military drill with South Korea and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile was launched from North Korea’s southeastern town of Jangyon at 5:05 a.m., followed by another unidentified ballistic missile trajectory detected 10 minutes later.
According to South Korea’s military, the country has increased its surveillance posture and is sharing information closely with the United States and Japan in response to the missile launches. The recent launch comes after South Korea, the U.S., and Japan concluded their multidomain trilateral drills in the region, aimed at strengthening their security partnership against North Korea’s nuclear threats and China’s regional assertiveness.
The “Freedom Edge” drill involved air and naval exercises to enhance joint ballistic-missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and other capabilities. North Korea strongly denounced the drill, labeling it as an Asian form of NATO and claiming it disrupted the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. The country vowed to defend its sovereignty and interests through “offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.”
The missile launch on Monday followed North Korea’s recent multiwarhead missile launch, designed to defeat U.S. and South Korean defenses, which South Korea dismissed as a failed attempt. In addition to missile launches, North Korea has engaged in symbolic gestures, such as sending trash-carrying balloons to South Korea in response to political leaflets sent by activists.
In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin made a defense assistance pact, potentially emboldening North Korea to provoke South Korea further. Meanwhile, a ruling party meeting in North Korea focused on enhancing Korean-style socialism, emphasizing the resolution of immediate policy issues to improve the country’s economic status.
The ongoing actions by North Korea continue to raise tensions in the region, as neighboring countries navigate security challenges and diplomatic complexity. With each provocative act, the international community closely monitors developments, seeking avenues for dialogue and de-escalation to maintain peace and stability.