North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles after Trump proposes meeting Kim

Missile launches from Pyongyang

North Korea launched around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang region on Thursday morning. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launches, stating that the projectiles flew toward the Sea of Japan. Japan's prime minister's office reported that a suspected ballistic missile launched from North Korea had fallen into maritime waters shortly after detection. The launches took place hours after diplomatic statements from Washington and Seoul proposed renewed dialogue. Pyongyang has historically staged missile tests during joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea.

Trump proposes summit and reduces military drills

United States President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year. The Wall Street Journal reported that officials are examining a potential meeting in November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China. This encounter would represent the fourth face-to-face meeting between the two leaders following three summits during Trump's first presidential term.

The diplomatic initiative coincided with an agreement to shorten the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises, which began on Monday, August 17. The exercises will now conclude on Friday, August 21, six days earlier than originally scheduled, following a request from Washington. The Pentagon stated that the truncated schedule would cause no degradation to United States military training objectives.

Reactions from Pyongyang and Seoul

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, addressed the diplomatic overtures on Wednesday, stating that her brother maintained positive personal feelings toward Trump. However, she indicated that she was unaware of active communications between the two leaders and noted that Pyongyang viewed joint drills as an enduring security challenge.

“Relations between the North Korean and US leaders are excellent.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed support for the diplomatic initiative on social media platform X, endorsing efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Lee supported the decision to scale down the joint military maneuvers to encourage diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang. South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated that Seoul remains firmly opposed to officially recognising North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state.

Discrepancies over nuclear arsenal estimates

During his White House remarks, Trump claimed that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons. Defence Minister Ahn presented a contrasting assessment to lawmakers in Seoul, stating that South Korean intelligence estimates the North Korean inventory at 80 to 120 nuclear warheads. Estimates compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute place the arsenal at around 60 warheads.

Ahn told legislators that he did not believe Washington had abandoned the long-term goal of North Korean denuclearisation. The United States currently maintains approximately 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, preserving the defense framework established after the 1950–1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.