North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles amid US-South Korea drills

North Korea on Saturday launched about 10 ballistic missiles into the eastern sea, seen as a show of force against joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired near Pyongyang. Japan reported that they landed outside its exclusive economic zone. South Korea has stepped up surveillance and readiness , coordinating closely with Washington and Tokyo.

The launches coincided with the annual Freedom Shield joint drills , which are largely computer-simulated exercises testing allied operational capabilities . North Korea routinely denounces such drills as invasion rehearsals , often responding with missile or artillery tests simulating nuclear strikes.

Tensions are also fueled by speculation that the US may be relocating missile defence assets, including THAAD system units, to support Middle East operations. South Korean officials stated that such moves would not weaken the defence posture against the nuclear-armed North .

Kim Yo Jong* , sister of *leader Kim Jong Un* , warned that the drills at a time of global instability could bring *“terrible consequences.”

North Korea’s missile program has historically been used to deter threats, strengthen bargaining power , and ensure regime survival since the Korean War , when the peninsula remained technically at war . Diplomatic efforts collapsed after Kim Jong Un’s 2019 summit with Donald Trump. Since then, Pyongyang has strengthened ties with Russia, including military support linked to the war in Ukraine.

The launches highlight persistent instability in Northeast Asia and risks of further escalation amid ongoing regional tensions.