North Korea Fires Missiles After US-Led Drills
North Korea Fires Missiles After US-Led Drills
The News
North Korea held a live-fire drill testing long-range artillery and missile units on Saturday, state media KCNA reported Monday, one day after South Korea finished five days of joint maritime exercises with the United States and Japan aimed at the North.
KCNA called it a "joint firepower attack drill" involving five army units, and said the exercise showed "the huge destructive power of concentrated fire."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the North fired several short-range ballistic missiles eastward on Saturday.
What Was Fired
According to KCNA, the drill used tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones, along with large-caliber thermal-pressure multiple rocket launchers. The state outlet claimed 100 percent hit accuracy against the targets.
Timeline
South Korea, the United States and Japan run five days of joint maritime exercises focused on North Korea.
North Korea conducts its live-fire drill. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detect and confirm several short-range ballistic missiles fired eastward.
KCNA publicly reports the drill, describing five participating army units, missiles, artillery, drones and rocket launchers.
Reactions
KCNA framed the exercise as a morale and readiness event, saying it would raise the troops' capacity to "completely collapse the enemy."
South Korea's military response has so far been limited to confirming the launches. Its Joint Chiefs of Staff said several short-range ballistic missiles flew east on Saturday.
No formal joint response from Seoul, Washington or Tokyo has been reported.
What's Next
KCNA did not say where inside North Korea the drill took place, and it is not clear whether the exercise marks a shift in the North's posture or is a routine answer to allied drills.
How South Korea, the United States and Japan respond formally has not been reported.
More
The reporting comes from KCNA's own account, carried by Reuters, CTV News, The Hill and The Independent, plus confirmation from South Korea's Joint Chiefs. North Korean state media routinely publicizes weapons tests days after they occur, and its damage and accuracy claims — including the 100 percent hit rate — have not been independently verified.
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