by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a sharp show of force just one day after Pyongyang dismissed President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back U.S.–South Korea military drills.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang region around 5 p.m. local time and flew roughly 185 miles before landing in the sea. Seoul said it strengthened surveillance and was coordinating closely with the United States and Japan.
The launches came after Washington and Seoul shortened the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises from 11 days to five and reduced some field training activities following Trump’s order to “substantially reduce” U.S. participation. Reuters reported the drills, which began Aug. 17, are now scheduled to end Aug. 21 instead of Aug. 27.
North Korea has long denounced the joint drills as rehearsals for invasion, while the United States and South Korea insist they are defensive and necessary to maintain readiness. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the shortened schedule, saying the “provocative” character of the drills remained unchanged.
Reuters reported Thursday that Kim also criticized South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for praising Trump’s move as a step toward dialogue, calling Seoul’s reaction “double-dealing” through North Korean state media.
The missile barrage underscored the delicate balance facing Washington and Seoul: how to keep deterrence strong while testing whether diplomacy with Kim can be revived. Trump has suggested he expects another meeting with Kim, but Pyongyang’s latest launch signaled that North Korea is still demanding more than symbolic concessions before returning to serious talks.
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