Seoul

North Korea fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea on Saturday, according to South Korea’s military, in what appeared to be a show of force as the South conducts joint military exercises with the United States.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from an area near the North Korean capital Pyongyang. It did not immediately disclose how far the missiles travelled.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the missiles landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean military said it had stepped up surveillance and was maintaining readiness for possible additional launches while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.

The launches came as US and South Korean forces are conducting their annual spring military drills involving thousands of troops. The exercises are taking place as the Donald Trump administration faces escalating conflict in West Asia.

The situation has raised concerns in South Korea about potential security gaps. Local media reports, citing security camera footage and other images, have speculated that the US could be relocating some missile defence assets stationed in South Korea to support operations against Iran.

When asked about the reports, the office of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said it could not confirm details of US military operations. However, it maintained that any potential relocation of US assets would not weaken the allied defence posture against nuclear-armed North Korea.

The reports referred to the possible movement of interceptor missiles from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery stationed in Seongju, as well as potential relocation of Patriot missile defense system units.

North Korea has long criticised the joint US-South Korea drills, describing them as rehearsals for invasion. In response, Pyongyang has frequently conducted missile launches or artillery drills, sometimes describing them as simulations of nuclear attacks on targets in South Korea.

The launches came days after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticised Washington and Seoul for holding the exercises at what she described as a dangerous moment for global security. She warned that any threat to North Korea’s safety would bring “terrible consequences”.

Without directly referring to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Kim Yo Jong said the US-South Korea exercises were destabilising the region at a time when the global security order was “collapsing rapidly”.

North Korea’s foreign ministry has also condemned joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and expressed support for Tehran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The ongoing drills — known as the Freedom Shield — began earlier this month and will run through March 19. The largely computer-simulated command post exercise is designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities and address evolving security challenges.

The exercise is accompanied by field training under the programme called Warrior Shield.

Diplomatic efforts aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear programme have remained stalled since talks collapsed in 2019 following the second summit between Kim Jong Un and then US President Donald Trump.

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In recent years, Pyongyang has also deepened ties with Russia, with reports suggesting that North Korea has sent troops and military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine in exchange for aid and military technology.