North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday, according to the South Korean military. This action occurred just two days after the United States and South Korea concluded their 11-day joint drills. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that the launches took place around 4 a.m. local time, although detailed information about the launch is still being analyzed.
The South Korean military informed reporters that they are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining a high level of preparedness in cooperation with the United States. South Korea’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting in response to the North Korean missile launches.
The missile tests come shortly after the completion of the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise between the United States and South Korea, which involved a U.S. long-range B1-B bomber flying over the Korean Peninsula. Prior to the joint drill’s conclusion, North Korea conducted two tactical ballistic missile tests on August 30, simulating “scorched earth” nuclear strikes targeting key command centers in South Korea.
According to assessments by South Korea and Japan, the tactical missiles traveled approximately 250 miles with a maximum altitude of 30 miles before landing in the waters between Korea and Japan. While the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that the missile launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or allies, it highlighted the destabilizing nature of North Korea’s weapons program.
North Korea has claimed that its missile tests are a response to the U.S.-South Korea joint drills, which it perceives as an invasion rehearsal. The United States has consistently stated that the drills are defensive in nature. On August 29, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to deploy nuclear weapons to the navy, condemning the trilateral military cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea and accusing them of militarizing the Korean Peninsula.
In response to North Korea’s actions, the three allied nations conducted a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the East China Sea on August 29. Japan’s Defense Ministry expressed the need to enhance trilateral cooperation to address regional security threats in the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has conducted over 100 weapons tests, many involving nuclear-capable missiles aimed at the United States, South Korea, and Japan. This testing spree has prompted the United States and South Korea to expand their drills, resume trilateral training with Japan, and increase the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula. In July, the United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in 40 years.