North Korea Fires 10 Ballistic Missiles Towards Sea Of Japan Amid US-South Korea Drills

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 13:06 IST

North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile towards the sea on Saturday, landing off its east coast amid US-South Korea military drills, say Japan and South Korea.

North Korea on Saturday fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, in what appeared to be a show of force as Seoul conducts joint exercises with the United States.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, but did not immediately provide information on their range. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the missiles landed in waters outside its exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean military said it has heightened surveillance and is maintaining readiness for possible additional launches, while closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan.

The launches come as the U.S. and South Korean militaries carry out their annual spring exercises involving thousands of troops, at a time when tensions in the West Asia are also escalating.

Seoul and Washington, D.C. began the large-scale military drills five days earlier, describing them as purely defensive exercises designed to test readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has frequently expressed anger over such exercises, calling them “dress rehearsals" for armed aggression by the United States and South Korea.

On Thursday, South Korea’s prime minister met Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ways to reopen dialogue with the North, which has been suspended since 2019.

News world North Korea Fires 10 Ballistic Missiles Towards Sea Of Japan Amid US-South Korea Drills

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