North Korea fires 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward sea on Thursday
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launches came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, and as U.S.-South Korea drills are set to end Friday after Trump ordered significantly reduced U.S. participation.
Key Facts
- Japan's prime minister's office and the Japan Coast Guard detected a suspected North Korean ballistic missile launch on Thursday.
- South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area.
- U.S.-South Korea military drills are set to end Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction in U.S. participation.
- Kim Yo Jong said the drills' "provocative, aggressive nature" will not change even though their duration and size were reduced.
Missile Launch Details
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday from its Pyongyang area. Earlier, Japan's prime minister's office and the Japan Coast Guard said they detected the suspected launch. The launches occurred hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
Reduced U.S.–South Korea Drills
The missile launches came as South Korea and the United States continued military drills that are set to end Friday after Trump ordered a significant reduction in U.S. participation. Pyongyang has long denounced the joint exercises as invasion rehearsals and often responds with missile launches. Trump on Wednesday described the war games as "inappropriate and hostile" while announcing the meeting with Kim. Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, said the drills' "provocative, aggressive nature" will not change despite the reduced duration and size. She added that the United States will not get the desired answer if it presents the recent measure as good faith.
2 sources
North Korea fires 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward sea on Thursday
