North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, just hours after South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint military drills, known as Freedom Shield, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles were reportedly fired from Hwanghae province. This is the fifth missile launch by North Korea in 2025.
While the type and range of the missiles were not immediately disclosed, the launches appear to be a clear response to the ongoing military exercises, which Pyongyang routinely condemns as provocative.
This was reported by Euronews.
The Freedom Shield exercise, which began Monday, is scheduled to last 11 days and will include a combination of live-fire, virtual, and field-based training, according to U.S. military officials.
North Korea issued a swift and stern response to the drills, calling them a "dangerous provocative act" that increases the risk of military conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Last week, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned against further U.S. and South Korean military maneuvers, particularly after a U.S. aircraft carrier docked in Busan, South Korea.
South Korean Air Force Mishap
The exercises had already faced a brief pause following a serious error by the South Korean Air Force on Thursday, when two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally bombed a civilian area in Pocheon, near the North Korean border.
At least 30 civilians were injured in the incident, which the military attributed to human error — a pilot reportedly entered the wrong coordinates for a bombing site.
In response, South Korean and U.S. forces temporarily suspended all live-fire training, pending the outcome of an official investigation. South Korean defense officials say live-fire drills will resume once the review is complete.
With North Korea ramping up missile launches and regional tensions mounting, the 2025 iteration of Freedom Shield is unfolding in a particularly volatile climate.
Pyongyang has steadily increased its weapons testing in recent years and has linked such provocations directly to U.S. military activities in the region.
