North Korea has fired several short-range ballistic missiles, the military in Seoul said today, hours after Donald Trump announced that he would meet its leader Kim Jong-un this year, France Press reports.
The actions of the North Korean regime coincide with the holding of a shortened version of the annual joint military exercises "Ulchi Freedom Shield" between South Korea and the United States.
Seoul announced that "at the suggestion of the American side" the exercises will end on Friday - about a week earlier than planned. The Pentagon said the shortened exercises would not lead to "no deterioration in US readiness". The exercises are designed to prepare for a possible attack by North Korea.
Pyongyang has long condemned them, describing them as a rehearsal for invasion. It often launches missiles at the same time. The country already has 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, Trump said, and stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with Kim to reporters at the White House yesterday, France Press reported. According to Seoul, the number of weapons is even between 80 and 120.
Hours after Trump's statement, a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea told the media that the North had launched "about 10 short-range ballistic missiles" from the Pyongyang area. Earlier, Japan also reported that a suspected "ballistic missile launched by North Korea a short time ago has already fallen", a post on the social network X from the Prime Minister's Office said.
Trump's sudden focus on Kim and his decision to limit joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea have raised concerns among Asian allies. They have also sparked speculation that he is seeking foreign policy success amid the stalemate over the conflict with Iran.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said yesterday that her brother has "good memories and feelings" for Trump and that relations between the two leaders remain "excellent." She is not aware of any ongoing communication between them, she noted.
On the issue of North Korea's nuclear disarmament, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-bak said he did not believe the United States had "given up" on the idea, according to France Press.
The United States has had 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to bolster defenses since the Korean War (1950-1953). It ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-bak said Seoul remained opposed to officially designating its northern neighbor as a nuclear-armed state.
President Lee Jae-myeon said on Wednesday he would do "everything possible" to support Trump's efforts to achieve peace with the North. He has also long insisted on strengthening its own defense in order to reduce dependence on the United States.