N. Korea remains silent over latest missile launches

North Korea remained mum on its ballistic missile launches on Thursday, marking the third consecutive time the regime has avoided announcing such tests the following morning. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the country's most widely read newspaper, had not reported on the launch by 6:30 a.m. as of the morning of the launch.

This silence is not unprecedented, as North Korea has occasionally omitted launches from its state media if they did not serve a propaganda purpose. On Thursday, Pyongyang fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in response to ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercises, which the regime has condemned as rehearsals for war.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the missiles traveled approximately 300 km, though further analysis is ongoing. Despite these recent missile tests, North Korea's actions came during a period when U.S. President Donald Trump was attempting to reestablish a diplomatic dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump had directed the reduction of an ongoing allied military exercise as a conciliatory gesture towards Kim Jong-un. These missile launches occurred about a week after the diplomatic overtures were initiated.