US says is aware of North Korea missile launches, reaffirms defence commitment to allies

North Korea fired ballistic missiles into the East Sea, its first 2026 test. The US confirmed no immediate threat, reaffirmed ally defense, while South Korea highlighted rising instability due to Pyongyang’s nuclear program and military cooperation with Russia

Washington: A US military command said it is aware of North Korea’s missile launches this week while reaffirming its security commitment to allies in the region.

The Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement after Pyongyang lobbed multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday morning (Korea time), marking its first missile test this year.

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“We are aware of the missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies,” the command said.

“The United States remains committed to the defence of the US homeland and our allies in the region,” it added. The North’s latest launches came as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung plans to have a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his four-day State visit to China this week.

They also followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a military strike in Caracas to bring him to face American justice for drug trafficking and other charges.

On December 29, South Korea’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back warned of a growing security instability surrounding the Korean Peninsula, citing a deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

“The security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula has become more unstable than ever,” Ahn said in a speech at a forum on an alliance with the United States.

“North Korea is advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities and modernising its conventional forces through military cooperation with Russia,” Ahn said in the speech. Ahn called such cooperation between North Korea and Russia a “grave challenge,” not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to the international community.

South Korea’s intelligence agency has estimated that North Korea has deployed around 15,000 troops to Russia to support its war with Ukraine since October last year. In return, North Korea was expected to gain access to Russia’s cutting-edge military technologies.