North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, triggering concerns as South Korea and the U.S. began their annual combined drills. The missile launch was the fifth event this year by North Korea, with the country viewing the drills as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea’s military mentioned the missiles were close-range but did not specify their distance. The country has heightened surveillance and is coordinating closely with the U.S.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry warned that the drills could lead to physical conflict on the Korean Peninsula, considering them aggressive. This year’s exercises follow an incident where South Korean fighter jets mistakenly bombed a civilian area during a warm-up drill. The South Korean air force believes one pilot entered the wrong coordinates, while the other failed to verify the target visually. Both South Korea and the U.S. have suspended live-fire exercises until the investigation is complete.
Gen. Lee Youngsu of the South Korean air force apologized and stated that preventive measures would be taken to ensure such incidents do not occur again. The resumption of live-fire training will occur once the investigation is finished.
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