North Korea fires short-range missile barrage amid joint military drills in South

North Korea launched approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Thursday afternoon, the South Korean military said Thursday.

The military detected the missiles, which flew about 186 miles, being fired around 5 p.m. from the Pyongyang area, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters. 

South Korea and the U.S. are still analyzing the details of the launches, the Joint Chiefs said, adding that intelligence authorities have been tracking and sharing related developments since the initial launch. 

“Under a steadfast South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various movements by North Korea and maintaining the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation,” the Joint Chiefs said.

Seoul and Washington are also sharing information regarding the ballistic missiles with Japan, it added. 

Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the missiles appeared to have fallen outside the country’s exclusive economic zone, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Thursday’s launch marks North Korea’s 12th launch episode this year, according to the JTBC cable network. 

U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to an after-hours email seeking comment.

The launches came a day before Washington and Seoul’s Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise is set to wrap on Friday. President Donald Trump ordered the allies to reduce joint drills, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The training began Monday and was slated to continue through Aug. 27, but will now conclude after five days, the Joint Chiefs announced Wednesday. It is one of two major exercises carried out annually by U.S. and South Korean troops.

That decision came after Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social that he has ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the allies’ military exercises.

In a White House briefing on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that the “massive war exercise” is “very insulting” to Kim, who has been “very well-behaved” during his term, according to online video of the briefing.

Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong, head of general affairs for the ruling Workers’ Party, said Wednesday that Trump’s decision to cut down the exercise was “unworthy of comment.”

She also pointed to Ulchi Freedom Shield as evidence that the United States’ “hostile policy” toward North Korea remains unchanged.