Seoul: North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles on Monday, just hours after criticizing joint military drills between the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang condemned the exercises as a "dangerous provocative act" that could inadvertently escalate tensions into a direct conflict.
According to South Korea's military, the missiles were launched from North Korea’s western region toward the Yellow Sea. This marks the first known ballistic missile test by North Korea since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.
The annual Freedom Shield drills, conducted by the U.S. and South Korea, are set to continue until March 20. However, live-fire exercises remain on hold after a South Korean Air Force accident last week, in which two jets mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian village near the North Korean border, injuring 29 people.
North Korea has long opposed these military exercises, claiming they serve as a rehearsal for an invasion. The South Korean military, however, maintains that the drills are essential for strengthening defense capabilities against potential threats from Pyongyang.
In a statement carried by state-run KCNA, North Korea’s foreign ministry accused the drills of pushing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to a dangerous level, warning that even a single misstep could trigger a full-scale conflict. Pyongyang further claimed the exercises also pose a threat to U.S. security.
Meanwhile, South Korea's Air Force chief, Lee Young-su, issued a public apology on Monday for last week's accidental bombing, calling it an "unprecedented" incident.
"It was a mistake that should never have happened and must never happen again," Lee said during a press briefing.
Preliminary investigations suggest that one of the pilots was under time pressure and failed to verify target coordinates before releasing bombs, while another pilot mistakenly followed suit.
The South Korean defense ministry has yet to provide an official response regarding the incident.
The mistaken bombing took place in Pocheon, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Seoul. While the area lies outside the designated training zone near the North Korean border, local residents have long voiced concerns over the risks and disturbances caused by military exercises.
