[ Looks like North Korea is feeling left out of world politics again so has
to put on a display for attention.  ]

From: https://shorturl.at/sxBw4 (stripes.com)

===
    Tensions rise as North Korea fires missiles amid US-South Korea exercise

   By David Choi
   Stars and Stripes  o  March 10, 2025

     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

   CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea - North Korea launched several ballistic
   missiles off its western coast on Monday, coinciding with the start of
   Freedom Shield, an annual large-scale military exercise conducted by the
   United States and South Korea.

   The missiles were fired toward the Yellow Sea at around 1:50 p.m.,
   according to a text message sent to reporters by South Korea's Joint
   Chiefs of Staff. No further details were immediately available.

   The launches mark North Korea's first ballistic missile test in nearly two
   months. In January, the regime fired multiple short-range ballistic
   missiles that traveled roughly 155 miles before landing in the Sea of
   Japan, or East Sea. On Feb. 26, it launched several cruise missiles that
   flew approximately 990 miles in a circular flight pattern off its western
   coast.

   Pyongyang has framed its missile tests as a response to joint military
   drills between the U.S. and South Korea, which it views as a provocation.
   On Sunday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning
   Freedom Shield and warning that the exercise would spur the "radical
   growth" of its nuclear arsenal.

   The ministry, through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, described
   Freedom Shield as an "aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal."

   "All the facts go to clearly show the multi-domain and all-round offensive
   nature of Freedom Shield," the statement said. "Obviously, the U.S.
   intends to push the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the region to an
   uncontrollable phase ..."

   The ministry warned that the exercise would "inevitably lead to a serious
   strategic misjudgment" and prompt "the radical growth of the nuclear
   force."

   The statement came a day after KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim
   Jong Un inspected a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an
   undisclosed location. The vessel, if completed, would represent a
   significant step for a navy that has traditionally relied on
   diesel-powered submarines.

   "We should ensure that incomparably threatening warships fulfill their
   mission as ... a nuclear power, capable of containing the inveterate
   `gunboat diplomacy' of the hostile forces," KCNA said.

   The U.S. and South Korean militaries have repeatedly described Freedom
   Shield as defensive drills designed to reinforce their security posture.
   It is the first of two major exercises held annually on the Korean
   Peninsula, with the second, Ulchi Freedom Shield, scheduled for August.

   Roughly 19,000 South Korean troops will participate in Freedom Shield on
   land, air and sea, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. Forces
   Korea, which oversees 28,500 American service members in the country, does
   not disclose its troop participation numbers, citing operational security.

   The start of Freedom Shield was preceded by an incident that prompted a
   halt to live-fire training in South Korea. About an hour before the
   exercise was formally announced on Thursday, two South Korean air force
   KF-16 fighter jets accidentally released eight MK-82 free-fall bombs
   outside of a practice range in Pocheon, a city near the North Korean
   border.

   The mishap injured 14 South Korean troops and 15 civilians.

   South Korea's air force attributed the accident to pilot error after a
   preliminary investigation, according to a statement released Friday.

   Gen. Lee Youngsu, the air force chief of staff, apologized for the
   incident and took full responsibility during a press conference at the
   Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on Monday.

   This "should never have happened," he said.

   In response, U.S. and South Korean military officials suspended all
   live-fire training "until further notice," USFK spokesman Col. Ryan Donald
   said in an email Friday.

   "The safety of the local community, U.S. and [South Korean] personnel is
   our top priority," he said. "We take this incident very seriously."
===

-- Sean
 
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