North Korea launched multiple unidentified ballistic missiles from Hwanghae Province into the Yellow Sea on Monday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The launch coincided with the start of the Freedom Shield 2025 joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington, further escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. “Our military will strengthen surveillance and maintain full readiness in close cooperation with the United States,” the JCS stated.
The Freedom Shield exercises, which will run until March 20, include full-scale war simulations and training across various domains such as land, sea, air, cyberspace, and outer space. According to an official U.S. statement, this year’s edition incorporates live, virtual, and field-based training.
North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the start of these exercises, calling them a “dangerous provocation” and warning that they could trigger an armed conflict with “a single accidental shot.” The Kim Jong-un regime views these military drills as an invasion rehearsal and has responded with missile tests, a common tactic used by Pyongyang to demonstrate its deterrence capabilities.
In addition to the missile launches, the North Korean government reiterated its commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal, arguing that it is necessary to counter what it perceives as threats from the U.S. and its regional allies. In a statement released by the KCNA propaganda agency, Pyongyang described the exercises as “aggressive and confrontational.”
Inter-Korean relations have reached one of their lowest points in recent years, with North Korea ramping up its missile tests in defiance of international sanctions. In 2024, the regime conducted a record number of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, blatantly violating United Nations Security Council resolutions.
This latest missile launch comes amid heightened tensions, particularly after a serious incident on March 6. Before the start of Freedom Shield, two KF-16 fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs over a residential area in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul. The incident left 31 people injured, including both civilians and military personnel.
South Korean Air Force Chief of Staff General Lee Youngsu issued a public apology, calling the error “unacceptable.” The initial investigation revealed that the bombing resulted from a pilot’s inputting the wrong coordinates, failing to detect the mistake during pre-flight checks. As a result, the South Korean government has suspended all live-fire drills until the investigation is complete and has restricted Air Force operations to surveillance and emergency missions.
Freedom Shield 2025 marks the first large-scale joint military exercise since Donald Trump began his second presidential term. During his first term, Trump attempted to rekindle diplomacy with North Korea, meeting with Kim Jong-un three times. However, negotiations collapsed due to disagreements over sanctions relief and the regime’s denuclearization. While Trump has expressed his willingness to resume talks with Kim, Pyongyang has shown no sign of engagement and continues its hostile stance toward Washington and Seoul.
Adding to the growing tensions, the recent arrival of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier at South Korea’s Busan port has been denounced by North Korea as a “political and military provocation.”
With North Korea’s latest missile launches and the continuation of Freedom Shield, the situation on the Korean Peninsula remains highly volatile, as Pyongyang advances its nuclear capabilities while facing increasingly stringent international sanctions.
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