South Korea’s presidential National Security Office held an emergency security meeting Saturday with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles from near Wonsan, Gangwon Province, toward the East Sea.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were launched at around 5:20 a.m. and flew about 250 kilometers. South Korean and US authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the launches, including the types of missiles involved.
The meeting reviewed the security implications of the launches and South Korea’s response, as well as measures that may be needed going forward.
The South Korean government also condemned the launches as violations of UN Security Council resolutions and called on North Korea to halt such provocations immediately.
The latest launches came 23 days after North Korea fired 10 missiles toward the East Sea from an area near Pyongyang on Aug. 20.
Local media reported that the latest launches could have been intended to counter the five-day Freedom Edge exercise conducted by South Korea, the United States and Japan from Sept. 7 in international waters southeast of Jeju Island.
The exercise focuses on responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, as well as other regional security threats. It was the fourth iteration of the exercise since it was launched in June 2024.
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