North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles in response to the start of the joint US-South Korea military drills, warning that the exercises could lead to “physical conflict.”
South Korea’s military confirmed that it detected the missile launch from Hwanghae province, located on the west coast of North Korea, at approximately 1:50 pm on Monday. The missiles were launched into the Yellow Sea, although further details were not provided.
The missile tests came shortly after Pyongyang condemned the ongoing “Freedom Shield 2025” drills, a series of simulated command post training and field exercises between the US and South Korea. North Korea described the exercises as a “dangerous provocative act” and warned that they risked escalating tensions to the point of a physical conflict.
The “Freedom Shield” drills, which began on Monday, are scheduled to run until March 20. These annual exercises, part of routine training between the two allies, aim to bolster their joint defence capabilities in the event of a potential North Korean attack. However, they have long been a source of friction with Pyongyang, which views them as rehearsals for an invasion.
In addition to the missile launches, the South Korean military faced backlash last week following a live-fire exercise in preparation for the drills. Military jets accidentally bombed a rural civilian area, injuring at least 29 people. The South Korean Air Force issued an apology, confirming that two KF-16 fighters dropped bombs outside the designated firing range. The United States Forces Korea clarified that no American aircraft were involved in the incident.
North Korea’s response to the drills has been sharply critical, with the country’s foreign ministry calling them an “aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal” that risks threatening the Korean peninsula’s ceasefire. A statement from Pyongyang described the joint exercises as a “dangerous provocative act,” warning that even a single accidental shot could ignite a conflict.
The North’s rhetoric and missile tests are not uncommon, as Pyongyang often retaliates against any perceived military cooperation between the US and South Korea. These tensions were further exacerbated on Saturday when North Korea unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time, a move that experts warned could significantly heighten security risks to both South Korea and the US. State media images showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the submarine, which is still under construction.
As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains on high alert for further escalations on the Korean peninsula.
