by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a sharp show of force just one day after Pyongyang dismissed President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back U.S.–South Korea military drills.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang region around 5 p.m. local time and flew roughly 185 miles before landing in the sea. Seoul said it strengthened surveillance and was coordinating closely with the United States and Japan.
The launches came after Washington and Seoul shortened the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises from 11 days to five and reduced some field training activities following Trump’s order to “substantially reduce” U.S. participation. Reuters reported the drills, which began Aug. 17, are now scheduled to end Aug. 21 instead of Aug. 27.
North Korea has long denounced the joint drills as rehearsals for invasion, while the United States and South Korea insist they are defensive and necessary to maintain readiness. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the shortened schedule, saying the “provocative” character of the drills remained unchanged.
Reuters reported Thursday that Kim also criticized South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for praising Trump’s move as a step toward dialogue, calling Seoul’s reaction “double-dealing” through North Korean state media.
The missile barrage underscored the delicate balance facing Washington and Seoul: how to keep deterrence strong while testing whether diplomacy with Kim can be revived. Trump has suggested he expects another meeting with Kim, but Pyongyang’s latest launch signaled that North Korea is still demanding more than symbolic concessions before returning to serious talks.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a sharp show of force just one day after Pyongyang dismissed President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back U.S.–South Korea military drills.
The Pentagon has ordered 30 American colleges and universities to audit foreign research partnerships and cut off any arrangements deemed a threat to U.S. national security, with officials warning that schools could lose federal research funding if they fail to comply.
The U.S. military’s heavy use of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the conflict with Iran is sharpening concerns in Washington over America’s ability to sustain long-range precision warfare while also preparing for future threats.
Israel has warned Syria not to allow Turkey to establish a deeper military foothold inside the country, escalating a growing diplomatic confrontation between Jerusalem and Ankara after an Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northern Syria.
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command said Thursday, marking a major carrier rotation as the USS Abraham Lincoln prepares to end one of the Navy’s most punishing recent deployments.
The death toll from the collapse of an artisanal gold mine in western Central African Republic has risen to more than 100, with others still missing or trapped beneath rubble, underscoring broader concerns about safety risks faced by miners across the region, rescue workers and local officials said.
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday at least 16 people were killed and about 40 injured in massive overnight Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and the wider region, while neighboring countries were placed on high alert amid reports of drones entering or approaching their territory.