U.S. President Donald Trump recently extended an olive branch to North Korea's leadership, expressing his desire to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. However, North Korea launched over 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula today.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected around 5 p.m. local time that North Korea had launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area. They stated they are currently cooperating with the United States to further analyze the situation. The South Korean military also reported that these missiles had a range of approximately 300 kilometers.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korean forces have strengthened monitoring and readiness in case of additional launches by North Korea, while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan to maintain a vigilant defense posture.
The Joint Chiefs emphasized: "Under the solid U.S.-South Korea combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring all kinds of North Korean activities and maintaining the capability and preparedness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation."
This missile launch comes after Trump expressed hope to resume dialogue with Kim Jong-un. Trump met with Kim three times during his first term in office in 2018 and 2019.
After their 2019 Hanoi summit failed to reach an agreement, nuclear negotiations have remained stalled.
Earlier this week, Trump posted on social media, signaling goodwill, stating he had instructed the Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea because he believed such drills might send an "inappropriate and hostile" message to Pyongyang.
The U.S. and South Korea yesterday announced that the ongoing 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' exercise would be shortened by half and conclude early on the 21st, ending the annual drill ahead of schedule.
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- Source: PR Times
- Category: News