US and South Korea conduct joint military exercises amid North Korean missile launch

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North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles from its west coast, according to Japanese and South Korean defense forces. The missiles were launched at approximately 1:34pm local time on Saturday, heading in a northeastern direction. Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported that the missiles reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers and traveled approximately 340 kilometers before landing near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that Pyongyang had fired around 10 ballistic missiles towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. This marks the third time North Korea has fired ballistic missiles since the start of the year.

The incident comes as tensions between North Korea and its neighbors remain high. The launches on Saturday follow a protest from North Korean leader Kim Yo Jong, who accused Seoul and Washington of “destroying the stability” of the Korean Peninsula and “muscle flexing” near its border.

Earlier this week, North Korea fired cruise missiles from a new naval destroyer. The latest ballistic missile launches have sparked renewed speculation about potential talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term in office, but no substantive progress was made.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok reported that Trump expressed interest in resuming dialogue with North Korea, stating that a meeting could take place “during the period of my visit to China” or after his visit.

Source: Al Jazeera