North Korea fires suspected missile during U.S.-South Korea drills

North Korea launched a projectile toward the sea on Saturday, according to officials in South Korea and Japan, in a move that came as U.S.–South Korea joint military exercises were underway.

South Korea’s military said the projectile was fired toward waters off North Korea’s east coast but did not immediately release additional details about the launch, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Japan’s coast guard reported that the object appeared to have landed in the sea. Authorities in Tokyo said the projectile may have been a ballistic missile, although further analysis is still ongoing.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing defence ministry sources, reported that the missile appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The launch came just days after the United States and South Korea began large-scale joint military drills designed to strengthen readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

Officials in United States and South Korea say the exercises are purely defensive, focusing on improving coordination and response capabilities between the two allies.

However, North Korea has long condemned such drills, frequently describing them as rehearsals for invasion and responding with missile tests or military demonstrations.

The latest launch also occurred shortly after South Korea’s prime minister met with Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. The talks focused on potential ways to restart dialogue with Pyongyang.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada