Seoul detects North Korean missile launches after Trump says to meet Kim

Seoul's military reported that North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2021. This occurred during a shortened version of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which were scaled back at the request of Trump.

North Korea, which has a history of condemning joint US-South Korea drills as invasion rehearsals, typically stages missile launches during these drills. Trump, aiming to rekindle the rapport he claims with Kim from his first term, stated during a press conference that he intends to meet Kim this year. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from Pyongyang.

Japan's Prime Minister's Office reported that a suspected North Korean ballistic missile had already fallen. The scaling back of joint exercises and Trump's renewed focus on Kim has caused concern among Asian allies and speculation that the US was attempting to achieve a foreign policy victory amid a stalled Iran conflict. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, stated that her brother had positive memories of Trump and that their relationship remains excellent, though she denied any current communication between the two leaders.

Seoul and the United States had planned to hold the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises for a full week, but the US suggested reducing the duration to about a week earlier than planned. The Pentagon assured that the shortened drills would not compromise US training objectives. The exercises are designed to prepare for a potential attack by North Korea.

The United States maintains a military presence of approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea, a remnant of the 1950-53 Korean War which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back reiterated that Seoul opposes officially recognizing North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state. When asked if Washington had given up on North Korea's denuclearization efforts, Ahn did not believe this to be the case.

President Lee Jae Myung, who has advocated for enhanced domestic defenses to lessen South Korea's dependence on the United States, pledged to support Trump's efforts to engage in peace talks with North Korea.