North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward the sea following military drill it sees as threat

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched ballistic missiles toward the sea on Saturday, its neighbors said, a day after the U.S., South Korea and Japan ended their trilateral military drill that North Korea views as a security threat.

South Korea’s military said it detected the launches of several missiles from North Korea’s eastern costal Wonsan area. It said South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture and was closely exchanging information on the launches with the U.S. and Japan.

The U.S. Pacific Command said the North’s launch event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or to its allies. It said the U.S. remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region.

South Korea’s military said the five-day Freedom Edge exercise is defensive in nature and meant to enhance a joint response capability against North Korean nuclear threats.

Hours after the drill began Monday, North Korea’s defense minister, Kim Song Gi, criticized the exercise and warned North Korea was capable of taking “strong and reflective countermeasures from the standpoint of power.”

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