North Korea fires missiles after trilateral military drill ends

North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern sea on Saturday, a day after the United States, South Korea, and Japan concluded a trilateral military drill that Pyongyang views as a provocation. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launches from North Korea's eastern coastal Wonsan area, reporting that the missiles flew approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) each toward North Korean waters. The U.S. Pacific Command stated the launch did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies.

The missile firings marked the first such launch by North Korea in about three weeks. They followed the conclusion on Friday of the five-day Freedom Edge exercise, a joint military drill involving the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. South Korea's military described the exercise as defensive, aimed at enhancing a joint response capability against North Korean nuclear threats. The U.S. Pacific Command said the three countries trained across air, sea, and cyber domains to sharpen interoperability.

Hours after the Freedom Edge drill began on Monday, North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song Gi criticized the exercise and threatened to take "strong and...