North Korea fired more than ten ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, as joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea were underway and diplomatic signals for renewed talks emerged from Washington.
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Officials said the missiles were launched from an area close to Pyongyang at around 1:20 p.m. local time, heading toward waters off the country’s eastern coast.
Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard reported detecting what appeared to be a ballistic missile falling into the sea. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK cited military sources as saying the projectile landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Pyongyang has carried out numerous missile tests over the past two decades as part of its efforts to advance delivery systems for nuclear weapons, which experts believe the country has already developed.
Because of these activities, North Korea has faced several rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council since 2006. Despite the economic and trade restrictions, the country has continued its weapons development program.
The launches came during the annual joint drills conducted by South Korea and the United States, exercises both allies describe as defensive preparations against potential threats from the North.
During the exercises on Saturday, hundreds of troops from both countries practiced river-crossing operations using tanks and armored combat vehicles under the supervision of the commander of their combined forces. The United States currently maintains about 28,500 troops along with fighter jet units stationed in South Korea.
North Korea has repeatedly criticized these drills, claiming they serve as rehearsals for a potential invasion.
Amid the rising tensions, diplomatic engagement was also discussed in Washington. Kim Min-seok met Donald Trump earlier this week to explore ways of reopening talks with Pyongyang. According to Kim, Trump remains interested in meeting North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, if an opportunity for dialogue arises.
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