As the United States and South Korean Armed Forces launch one of the largest combined military exercises of the year, North Korea has surprised the region with a new ballistic missile launch in the past few hours. The missile tests took place around midday, with the projectiles heading toward the Yellow Sea. Last week, North Korea had already warned of new provocations in response to the arrival of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, at the South Korean port of Busan.
After the suspension of all live-fire exercises due to an incident in which South Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a residential area, the U.S. and South Korean Armed Forces officially began the Freedom Shield exercise. In response, North Korea’s military launched multiple ballistic missiles from Hwanghae Province toward the Yellow Sea. South Korean authorities, alerted by the event, indicated that the missiles could have been short-range, although this has not been fully confirmed. The last North Korean missile launch occurred on January 14, before Donald Trump assumed office as the new President of the United States.
Additionally, North Korea issued a statement condemning the exercise as a “dangerous provocative act” and justified its strong retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, South Korea’s military stated that it is closely monitoring further provocations, including the possible launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), in cooperation with U.S. forces.
Freedom Shield will continue until March 20 and marks the first large-scale exercise since Trump took office. Over the coming days, activities will focus on defending the Korean Peninsula and enhancing interoperability, under the premise of preparing for a total war scenario against North Korea, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. “This year’s scenario incorporates North Korea’s evolving tactics, including the deployment of drones, GPS jamming, and cyberattacks, particularly in relation to North Korea’s military support for Russia.”
Lastly, last week the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy, arrived in South Korea as part of a scheduled visit within the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations. This visit not only reaffirms Washington’s military commitment to regional allies such as South Korea and Japan but also demonstrates the global power projection capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region, a key area for U.S. foreign policy. However, the deployment of the carrier strike group to South Korea is not surprising, given the ongoing tensions with North Korea. Just a few days ago, Pyongyang conducted cruise missile tests to showcase its counterstrike capabilities.
You may also like: Ukrainian intelligence warns that Russia made improvements to the North Korean Armed Forces’ KN-23 ballistic missiles
