North Korea fires 10 missiles after Trump scales back drills
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- North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang region at roughly 5pm Thursday toward its eastern waters, according to South Korea's joint chiefs of staff
- Donald Trump had ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises just before they began Monday, citing his "good relationship" with Kim Jong-un and South Korea's refusal to support him over the war against Iran
- Kim Yo-jong dismissed the scaled-back drills, saying the "provocative, aggressive nature" of the exercises would not change with smaller size or duration, and denied Trump had requested a meeting with Kim Jong-un
- Kim Yo-jong notably refrained from fiery rhetoric, saying personal relations between her brother and Trump were "still excellent" — a possible signal Pyongyang wants larger concessions before returning to talks
- South Korea's presidential national security council held an emergency meeting and urged North Korea to halt the launches, which are banned under UN Security Council resolutions; South Korea also bolstered surveillance and is coordinating information with the US and Japan
- Trump told reporters Wednesday "Yeah, I will be" when asked whether he would meet Kim Jong-un this year, but declined to confirm whether the two leaders are exchanging letters
Why it matters: Trump scaled back US-South Korea drills to engineer a Kim Jong-un meeting, but Kim Yo-jong's pointed rejection — paired with 10 missiles fired the next day — shows Pyongyang expects far bigger concessions before any talks resume. The subtext: Trump cited South Korea's refusal to back him on the Iran war as a reason for the cuts.
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