North Korea Fires 10 Rockets into Yellow Sea After Trilateral Air Drills

North Korea launched approximately 10 rockets into the Yellow Sea on Thursday morning, just a day after South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint aerial drills.

According to South Korea’s military, the projectiles—believed to be multiple launch rockets—were fired around 10 a.m. from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, heading northwest toward the Yellow Sea.

“The projectiles flew tens of kilometers before landing in the water,” a South Korean military official said. “We are working closely with U.S. intelligence to analyze further details.”

The rockets are suspected to have been launched as part of a training exercise involving 240-millimeter multiple rocket launchers. These long-range systems are capable of targeting front-line positions and potentially reaching the Seoul metropolitan area. North Korea previously tested a guided version of this rocket in 2024.

The launches came on the heels of the first trilateral aerial exercise under South Korea’s new Lee Jae Myung administration. The drills were held over international waters south of Jeju Island and involved two South Korean F-15K fighter jets, six U.S. Air Force F-16s, and two Japanese F-2 fighter jets.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang continues to protest allied military cooperation with provocative weapons tests and drills.