(3rd LD) N. Korea fires barrage of short-range ballistic missiles despite Trump overture

On August 20, North Korea launched a series of short-range ballistic missiles over the East Sea, despite recent overtures from U.S. President Donald Trump to re-engage with the country's leader, Kim Jong-un. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected approximately a dozen missiles launched from Pyongyang around 5 p.m., with further analysis underway in collaboration with the U.S. The military has heightened surveillance and readiness, sharing information with the U.S. and Japan, maintaining a full state of alert for additional launches.

This most recent missile launch follows Trump's announcement on social media that he would scale down military drills with South Korea, deeming them an inappropriate and hostile message to Pyongyang. The U.S. and South Korea recently shortened the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise by half, concluding the annual drills this Friday. Pyongyang routinely denounces the drills as rehearsals for invasion and responds with weapons tests in protest.

In a statement, Kim Yo-jong, sister of Kim Jong-un, expressed no interest in reducing the military exercises, calling them unworthy of comment. Following the missile launch, the presidential national security office convened a meeting with defense ministry and JCS officials to review South Korea's response and assess the impact on national security.

The office emphasized the need to maintain a vigilant posture, urging Pyongyang to halt provocations in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. The missile launch occurred about a week after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles on August 12 and August 6.