In response to South Korea and the United States kick-starting their extensive joint military exercises, North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, according to South Korea’s military reports. Recognized as North Korea’s fifth missile launch episode of this year, these firings originated from the country’s southwestern region, Hwanghae province. Although classified as short-range weapons, specifics regarding their flight distances were not disclosed. In response, South Korea has heightened its surveillance operations and is closely working with the United States to monitor the situation.
Earlier in the day, South Korean and U.S. military forces embarked on their annual Freedom Shield command post exercise, marking the first significant joint training during the second term of President Donald Trump. Ahead of the Freedom Shield drill, the allies were already participating in various field exercises. However, the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a stark warning, stating that these recent exercises could escalate into “physical conflict” on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry criticized the drills as a “provocative war rehearsal,” emphasizing leader Kim Jong Un’s goal for a significant expansion of their nuclear capabilities, citing perceived threats from the U.S. and its allies in Asia.
This year, the joint exercises occurred shortly after a halt in live-fire training due to South Korea’s ongoing investigation following an incident where fighter jets accidentally bombed a civilian area during a recent preparatory drill. On Thursday, two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets unintentionally released eight MK-82 bombs on Pocheon, a town near the border with North Korea, injuring about 30 people, including two with serious injuries. This incident occurred amid live-fire exercises as part of preparations for the Freedom Shield activities.
Initial reports from the South Korean air force suggest that the mishap was due to one pilot mistakenly entering incorrect coordinates and not visually confirming the target location. Meanwhile, the second pilot, who had the correct coordinates, mistakenly followed instructions to drop bombs based on the misinformed directives of the first pilot, without noticing the target error. Gen. Lee Youngsu, the chief of staff of the South Korean air force, publicly apologized for the incident on Monday, expressing regret over the injuries and damages, stating that such an event “should never have occurred and must not happen again.”
The U.S. and South Korean militaries have since suspended all live-fire operations in South Korea pending the investigation’s conclusion and the establishment of preventive measures. Moreover, the South Korean air force briefly grounded all training flights, lifting the restriction on Monday, with the exception of planes from the unit involved in the incident.
