North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on the morning of the 12th.
the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected a ballistic missile launched toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area at around 6 a.m. that day.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the missile detected that day flew more than 700 km. The South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the missile's exact specifications and also shared relevant information with Japan.
An official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "The military is closely watching North Korea's various movements under the firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," and added, "We are maintaining the capability and posture to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."
It comes six days after one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) was fired from the same Wonsan area on the 6th. It is the 11th provocation this year.
The launch took place ahead of the South Korea-U.S. combined exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), scheduled from the 17th to the 27th.
North Korea has labeled UFS a "rehearsal for invading the North" and has staged shows of force, including missile launches, before and after the drills.
On the 10th, South Korea and the United States held a joint briefing on the 2026 UFS exercise at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan and said they would conduct the exercise, including training to respond to the North Korean military.