N. Korea fires multiple artillery rockets as Hegseth visits DMZ
North Korea fired around 10 artillery rockets from its multiple launch system earlier this week, coinciding with a joint visit by the U.S. and South Korean defense ministers to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), South Korea’s military said on Tuesday.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the North launched the rockets toward waters off the northern Yellow Sea at about 4 p.m. Monday, less than an hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Camp Bonifas, near the Joint Security Area (JSA), alongside South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.
The JCS said an analysis of the test was ongoing.
Separately, North Korea fired another 10 artillery shells on Saturday afternoon, coinciding with summit talks between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.
“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea’s various activities under a steadfast South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and maintains capabilities and a posture capable of overwhelmingly responding to any threat,” the JCS stated.
While such rocket launches do not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, the North’s 240mm multiple rocket launcher system is capable of striking Seoul and nearby areas, underscoring persistent security concerns.
The incident follows a similar pattern of provocation, as North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in October, just a week before U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to South Korea for the APEC summit.
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