Pyongyang called the war game a “dangerous provocation” and “can cause physical conflict.”
According to the Seoul Army, North Korea launched multiple missiles from the west coast as the US and South Korea launched their annual joint military training.
They were sent around 1:50pm local time, South Korea’s Co-Chief of Staff (JCS) said in a text message sent to reporters.
North Korean state media has condemned training by US and US ally South Korea.
“This is a dangerous and provocative act that leads to an acute situation in the South Korean Peninsula, and can cause physical conflict on both sides to extreme points by accidental single shots,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, according to the state’s media outlet KCNA.
The department noted that drills would harm US security.
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Practical exercises suspended
The Allies’ annual Freedom Shield Drill is scheduled to run until March 20th.
However, the practical movement was stopped after South Korean fighters accidentally dropped bombs into civilian regions.
The military said the incident will not affect major joint South Korea and US military exercises starting March 10.
Nine of the injured are currently hospitalized, according to a spokesman.
The area was outside the training area, close to the border with North Korea.
Defence Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-Kyu told reporters on March 7 that the latest tally includes cases of ear damage caused by the explosion and people suffering from migraines and anxiety.
North Korean weapons
Last year, South Korean lawmakers warned that North Korean leader Kim Jong is making progress in producing weapons-grade nuclear materials to develop stronger and more accurate bombs.
In September 2024, North Korea, managed by a highly totalitarian socialist regime, announced via state media a secret facility that produces uranium, an important material used to develop nuclear weapons.
This could probably be for flight testing of nuclear weapons or intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Services said at the time that Kim’s facility disclosure was likely a statement of rebellion against Washington ahead of the US presidential election.
Regarding North Korea’s bomb fuel capacity, the agency said North Korea has around 70 kilograms (154 pounds) of plutonium and a substantial amount of unspecified but weapon-grade uranium.
In response, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Kim’s comments were nothing more than a deception justifying the development of nuclear missiles.
“North Korea’s nuclear weapons will never be accepted. The only way North Korea can survive is to abandon its obsession and delusions about nuclear weapons,” the ministry said in a statement.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.
