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On Saturday, North Korea launched over a dozen ballistic missiles into the ocean, as confirmed by South Korea’s military, coinciding with joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea.
According to a brief statement from the South Korean military, the missiles were directed towards the waters off North Korea’s eastern coastline.
Subsequent reports clarified that around ten ballistic missiles had been launched in total.
Meanwhile, Japan’s coast guard identified an object likely to be a ballistic missile, which seemed to have splashed down into the sea.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK, referencing sources within the defense ministry, noted that the missile appeared to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Seoul and Washington five days earlier launched the major drills, ‌which they say are purely defensive, aimed at testing readiness against military threats from North Korea.
Nuclear-armed North Korea frequently displays its anger and objections to such exercises, saying they are “dress rehearsals” for armed aggression ‌against it by the allies.
On Thursday, South Korea’s prime minister met US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ways to reopen dialogue with the North, which has been suspended since 2019.
— With additional reporting from Reuters
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