The Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang has warned that US-South Korean military exercises could lead to a “conflict”. North Korea launched several ballistic missiles, coinciding with the start of joint military drills between South Korea and the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea conducted its fifth missile launch of the year, with the projectiles traveling off the west coast into the sea. These drills, known as Freedom Shield, began as part of the annual exercises, scheduled to conclude on March 20. Pyongyang denounced the exercises, labeling them as a “dangerous provocative act” that increases the risk of military conflict. The Freedom Shield drills are the first large-scale joint exercise since US President Donald Trump began his second term. Despite Trump’s previous meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his willingness to revive US-North Korean diplomacy, Pyongyang has not responded and continues to maintain its aggressive stance against the joint military exercises, viewing them as a rehearsal for invasion. The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also emphasized Kim’s goal of “radical growth” of his nuclear force to counter perceived threats from the US and its allies in Asia. The exercises commenced following a pause in live-fire training by South Korean and US forces after two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area, injuring about 30 people, two seriously, during a training exercise. General Lee Youngsu, chief of staff of the South Korean Air Force, apologized for the incident.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/10/north-korea-fires-missiles-as-south-us-launch-military-drills?traffic_source=rss