United States: North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, shortly after South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale military exercises. Pyongyang sees these drills as a rehearsal for invasion.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the missiles were launched from the southwestern Hwanghae province. While officials described them as short-range, they did not specify the distance they traveled. In response, South Korea increased its surveillance and maintained close coordination with US forces.
Tensions Rise as Joint Drills Begin
Earlier that day, South Korean and U.S. troops commenced the Freedom Shield exercise, their most significant combined training operation under President Donald Trump’s second term. These drills include various field exercises, enhancing combat readiness between the two allies, according to AP News.
Reacting strongly, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry warned that the ongoing military activities could lead to an armed confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. The regime denounced the drills as “provocative war simulations” and reaffirmed leader Kim Jong Un’s commitment to significantly expanding North Korea’s nuclear capabilities to counter what he perceives as rising threats from the U.S. and its regional allies.
Live-Fire Exercises Suspended After Accidental Bombing
This year’s military training follows an unexpected incident in which South Korean fighter jets mistakenly bombed a civilian area during preparatory drills last week.
On Thursday, two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped eight MK-82 bombs on Pocheon, a town near the North Korean border, injuring around 30 people. Two individuals sustained severe injuries. The mishap occurred during a live-fire drill ahead of the Freedom Shield exercise.
An initial investigation revealed that one pilot had entered incorrect coordinates and failed to visually confirm the target before dropping the bombs. The second pilot, though having the correct coordinates, followed the first pilot’s lead without independently verifying the target, resulting in the unintended strike.
Expressing deep regret, Gen. Lee Youngsu, South Korea’s Air Force Chief of Staff, publicly apologized on Monday, stating that such incidents “must never happen again,” as per the reports by AP News.
Following the accident, both South Korean and US forces suspended all live-fire training exercises. South Korean officials announced that drills would resume only after a thorough investigation is completed and necessary preventive measures are put in place.
Although the South Korean Air Force initially grounded all training flights, restrictions were lifted on Monday—except for aircraft from the unit involved in the mistaken bombing.
