North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles day after trilateral drills end

North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles over the East Sea on Saturday, just one day after South Korea, the United States, and Japan concluded a five-day trilateral military exercise. The missiles were detected near Wonsan, on North Korea's east coast, and flew around 250 kilometers before landing in the sea.

South Korean and US authorities are currently studying the missiles' specifics. Intelligence agencies in Seoul and Washington had been monitoring North Korea's activities and shared the information with Japan. Following the drills, South Korea boosted surveillance for potential further launches and maintained a high state of readiness under its alliance with the United States.

There were no casualties or damage reported from the missile launches. The missile test followed the conclusion of Freedom Edge, an annual multi-domain exercise by South Korea, the US, and Japan in international waters east and south of Jeju Island, aimed at enhancing deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea had previously criticized the exercise, with Defense Minister Kim Song-gi warning Pyongyang of strong and "reflective countermeasures" if the US and allies pursued what North Korea deemed a new military confrontation. South Korea's presidential Office of National Security convened an emergency session after the missile launches, condemning the actions as violations of UN Security Council resolutions and urging North Korea to cease such behavior while ordering authorities to evaluate the impact on security and maintain readiness.

The US Pacific Command acknowledged the launches and was consulting allies, but deemed the missiles not an immediate threat to US personnel or territory or to regional allies, reaffirming Washington's defense commitments. South Korea's military is still determining the exact missile types, with assessments suggesting potential Hwasong-11 family and 600mm multiple rocket launch systems.

The launch came directly after Freedom Edge but no direct link was established between the drills and the firings. Pyongyang had warned of countermeasures against the three countries' military cooperation before the drill.