North Korea fires 10 rockets hours after US-South Korea-Japan air drill

Seoul warns 240 mm shells launched from Sunan could strike the capital, ratcheting up Asia-Pacific tensions a day after the allies’ first Lee Jae-Myung-era fighter exercise

Seoul: North Korea launched roughly 10 artillery rockets toward the Yellow Sea from the Sunan district near Pyongyang at about 10 a.m. Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported. The barrage came one day after South Korea, the United States and Japan staged their first trilateral air exercise under President Lee Jae-myung.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are analyzing the projectiles, believed to be 240 mm rockets capable of striking Seoul and surrounding regions. No damage or casualties were immediately reported.

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The JCS said it is “maintaining the capability to overwhelmingly respond” and is monitoring North Korean movements to ensure Pyongyang “does not misjudge” the security environment.

Wednesday’s three-nation drill involved South Korean F-15K, U.S. F-16 and Japanese F-2 fighters, signaling deeper cooperation against North Korean threats.

This test follows several recent North Korean launches: May 8, Multiple short-range ballistic missiles fired into the East Sea. Also last month several cruise missiles launched a day after a “serious” accident damaged a newly unveiled destroyer during its rollout ceremony, which leader Kim Jong-un called a “criminal act.”

Ballistic missile tests violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, while cruise-missile firings typically draw less immediate public disclosure from Seoul.

Last year, Pyongyang showcased a 240 mm multiple-rocket system fitted with a new guidance package that extends precision strike capability to the South Korean capital and adjacent urban centers.

Analysts say the latest salvo underscores North Korea’s intent to flex its rapid-response firepower as allied air drills grow more routine on the Korean Peninsula.