North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the 12th, the day after the U.S.-Korea-Japan trilateral regular military drill "Freedom Edge" ended. Because North Korea had strongly protested throughout the exercise and signaled countermeasures, there is speculation that the launch is a show of force against Freedom Edge. The Office of National Security convened an emergency meeting and urged an immediate halt, calling it a "violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that around 5:20 a.m. it detected several ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea.
The detected missiles flew about 250 km, and the exact specifications are being closely analyzed by the U.S. and Korea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "While strengthening surveillance and vigilance against additional launches, the U.S., Korea, and Japan are closely sharing information related to 'North Korean ballistic missiles' and maintaining full readiness."
The launch came a day after Freedom Edge, conducted for five days from the 7th to the 11th in international waters east and south of Jeju, ended. Freedom Edge is a multi-domain exercise in which key naval and air assets from the U.S., Korea, and Japan participate to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and regional security challenges. First held in June 2024, this was the fourth iteration.
North Korea pushed back strongly even before the drill. Kim Sung-gi, North Korea's defense minister, in a statement released via the Korean Central News Agency on the 7th, the first day of Freedom Edge, condemned the exercise as a "U.S.-led war demonstration."
Defense Minister Kim said, "If the United States and its allies attempt a new military confrontation with us, we, too, will take powerful and reflexive countermeasures from a position of strength."
After North Korea signaled countermeasures and then fired ballistic missiles immediately after the exercise ended, the possibility is being raised that this provocation is a retaliatory show of force against Freedom Edge.
North Korea's ballistic missile launch comes 23 days after the 20th of last month. At that time, around 5 p.m., North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles, presumed to be 600 mm super-large multiple rocket launchers (KN-25), from the Pyongyang area into the East Sea.
That was when the U.S. and Korean militaries were conducting the regular combined exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS). North Korea has continued ballistic missile launches before and after recent U.S.-Korea and U.S.-Korea-Japan combined drills.
This launch is North Korea's 13th ballistic missile launch of the year. Since the 6th of last month, North Korea has not carried separate reports on three ballistic missile launches through state media, drawing attention to what stance it will take on this launch.
North Korea's ballistic missile launches violate U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions. Resolution 1718, adopted in 2006, requires North Korea not to conduct ballistic missile launches, and Resolution 2397, adopted in 2017, also bans additional launches using North Korea's ballistic missile technology.
The Office of National Security on the day held an "emergency security situation review meeting" attended by related agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The office reviewed the government's response posture and analyzed and assessed the impact of the launch on our security. It also stressed confirming necessary measures and ensuring thorough readiness. In addition, it defined North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a "grave act that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions" and urged an immediate halt.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also said on the 11th (local time) that it is aware of North Korea's launch.
In a statement posted on X, the Indo-Pacific Command said, "We are aware of the recent (North Korean) missile launches and are consulting closely with allies and partners."
It added, "According to current assessments, the launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," and emphasized, "The United States remains committed to the defense of the homeland and allies in the region."