North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump said he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area at about 5pm local time and travelled roughly 300 kilometres. South Korean and US authorities were analysing the specifications of the missiles.
The launches came as the United States and South Korea conducted a shortened version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises. The drills are designed to prepare the allies for a potential North Korean attack.
The exercises are due to end on Friday, about a week earlier than originally planned, following a US request. The Pentagon said the shortened drills would not reduce its training objectives.
Trump said on Wednesday that he expected to meet Kim later this year, reviving efforts to establish direct contact with the North Korean leader. The two men previously held three meetings during Trump’s first term, including summits in Singapore and Hanoi and a meeting at the Korean Demilitarised Zone in 2019.
Trump also said North Korea had 57 nuclear weapons. South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers on Thursday that Seoul estimated Pyongyang had between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the size of the North’s nuclear arsenal.
Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, said on Wednesday that she was unaware of any current communication between Trump and her brother, although she described their personal relationship as excellent.
South Korea’s presidential office held an emergency security meeting following the missile launches and condemned the tests as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The latest launches underscore the tensions surrounding Washington’s renewed outreach to Pyongyang, despite the planned reduction in US-South Korean military exercises.
