North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles day after trilateral drills end

North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles were fired from the eastern Wonsan area and landed in the country's eastern waters, approximately 250 kilometers away, reported Yonhap news agency. The Hwasong-11 series missiles were launched alongside 600-millimeter rocket launcher rounds, as sources told the outlet.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff increased surveillance and coordinated closely with the US and Japan. South Korea's presidential national security council urged North Korea to stop launches that violate UN Security Council resolutions. The US Pacific Command stated that the launches did not pose an immediate threat to American territory or regional allies, reaffirming Washington's defense commitments.

The trilateral drills, known as Freedom Edge, involved joint military exercises in air, sea, and cyber domains. North Korea's Defense Minister denounced the drills as provocative, threatening strong countermeasures. This marks North Korea's first missile test in roughly three weeks since a similar barrage of over 10 short-range missiles last month during US-South Korea exercises.

The launches come amid shifting security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula, with President Trump scaling back annual military exercises with South Korea and North Korea's leader calling for expanding the country's nuclear deterrent.