North Korea views US-South Korea military drills as rehearsals for invasion. On March 14, 2026, the country fired a salvo of at least 10 ballistic missiles from the Sunan district in Pyongyang towards the East Sea. The missiles flew roughly 350 kilometers before landing in the sea, reaching altitudes of around 80 kilometers. This launch marks the largest single salvo of North Korean ballistic missiles in nearly two years.
The missile launches coincided with the annual US-South Korea military drills, known as Freedom Shield, which are scheduled from March 9 to March 19, 2026. Kim Jong Un observed a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems on the same day, emphasizing the capabilities of North Korea’s 600mm-caliber multiple rocket launchers, which can deliver nuclear warheads and have an operational range of around 380 kilometers.
In a statement, Kim Jong Un declared, “If this weapon is used, the opponent’s military infrastructure within its striking range can never survive.” The launches have drawn immediate reactions from regional players, with Shinjiro Koizumi, a Japanese official, stating, “The prime minister has instructed us to make every effort to gather and analyse information and to provide the public with timely and accurate information.”
Experts have noted that the launch pattern is closely synchronized with the schedule of the joint drills. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University, commented that North Korea is unlikely to take military action when it observes US redeployment of missile defense assets from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East.
North Korea’s foreign ministry has also denounced the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, further complicating the geopolitical landscape. The country has been under multiple United Nations Security Council sanctions since 2006 for its nuclear and missile programs, which have only intensified its military activities.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact number of missiles launched, which is reported as at least 10 but could be more. Additionally, the potential impact of these missile launches on diplomatic relations remains unclear, as North Korea has pivoted its foreign policy toward Russia, sending troops and military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
