North Korea launched at least one short-range ballistic missile off its east coast on Monday, following a new U.S. military drill with South Korea and Japan. The missile was launched from North Korea's southeastern town of Jangyon at 5:05 a.m., with an additional, unidentified ballistic missile launch detected 10 minutes later, suggesting two missile launches may have occurred.
South Korea’s military has increased its surveillance posture and is sharing information with the United States and Japan in response to the launch. This comes after the three countries recently conducted a trilateral drill aimed at enhancing joint ballistic-missile defense and other capabilities to address North Korea’s nuclear threats and China’s regional assertiveness.
North Korea strongly denounced the trilateral drill as an Asian version of NATO, accusing the U.S. of attempting to lay siege to China and pressure Russia. The country vowed to defend its sovereignty and peace in the region through "offensive and overwhelming countermeasures."
This missile launch follows North Korea's recent test of a multiwarhead missile, which it claimed was successful but was dismissed by South Korea as a failure. Additionally, North Korea has engaged in balloon launches towards South Korea in response to political leaflets sent by activists, prompting South Korea to resume anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also agreed to mutual defense assistance in the event of an attack, which some believe could embolden North Korea to undertake further provocations. North Korea is currently conducting a key ruling party meeting to address issues related to enhancing Korean-style socialism and resolving economic challenges.