North Korea launches 10 ballistic missiles as US-South Korea drills near end

North Korea launched 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, according to South Korea's military. This occurred as the United States and South Korea carried out their annual joint military training drills. US President Donald Trump announced his intention to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, though no date has been set.

South Korea had announced a reduction in military drills with the United States. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles were launched from Pyongyang towards North Korea's eastern waters around 5pm local time on Thursday. Following the missile launches, South Korea's presidential national security council convened an emergency meeting and released a statement urging North Korea to cease ballistic missile launches, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea subsequently intensified its surveillance and cooperated closely with the United States and Japan. The Japanese prime minister's office confirmed having detected a potential missile launch. This missile launch occurred amidst the US and South Korea's joint military exercises and was reported less than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump expressed his intention to meet Kim Jong Un later in the year.

The military training drills will conclude early this year, six days sooner than planned, due to President Trump's decision to reduce the exercise. The Ulchi Freedom Shield is one of the primary military exercises conducted by the US and South Korea each year to bolster their capacity to handle potential North Korean aggression.

While both countries claim their drills are defensive, North Korea regards them as rehearsals for invasion and often responds with weapons tests. Prior to this month's drills, North Korea accused the US and South Korea of plotting additional provocative exercises and threatened to retaliate with a heightened level of deterrence.

Thursday's missile launch also coincided with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to South Korea. During the visit, the foreign minister cautioned South Korea against taking sides between Beijing and Washington, urging the US to abandon its hostile policy towards North Korea to alleviate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The foreign minister stated, "The fundamental solution to the tensions on the Korean Peninsula lies in addressing the root causes of the problem and urging the United States to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea."

He made these remarks during a meeting with South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, and reflected Beijing's desire for South Korea to maintain independent relations with major powers, including China and the United States, without contradiction.