South Korea holds emergency talks after DPRK launches 10 missiles

South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency meeting following the DPRK’s launch of at least 10 ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, the presidential administration reported on Saturday.

“The National Security Office assessed the impact of this launch on national security and reviewed necessary response measures,” the statement said.

The meeting included representatives from the Defense Ministry, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other relevant agencies, and the president was briefed on the situation and the actions taken.

Officials stressed the importance of maintaining heightened readiness during the ongoing South Korea-US Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled for March 9–19.

Seoul also condemned the missile launches as a “violation of UN Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to immediately halt such activities.”

DPRK launches over 10 ballistic missiles toward East Sea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched more than ten ballistic missiles on Saturday toward the East Sea, in what observers view as a demonstration of military readiness amid ongoing joint military drills conducted by the United States and South Korea.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches early in the afternoon local time.

“Today, Saturday, March 14, at approximately 1:20 p.m. [4:20 a.m. GMT], our military detected more than ten unidentified ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area of North Korea toward the East [Japan] Sea,” the statement read.

According to the South Korean military, the missiles were launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang and traveled roughly 350 kilometers before landing in waters east of the Korean Peninsula.

Officials in Seoul said the precise type of the projectiles is still under review.

“Their exact specifications are currently being analyzed in detail by South Korea and the United States,” the statement added.

The South Korean military also said it had heightened surveillance and maintained a high level of readiness while coordinating with the United States and Japan.

“Our armed forces, within the framework of the strong South Korea-US allied defense cooperation, are closely monitoring North Korea’s activities and maintaining the capability and readiness to respond decisively and overwhelmingly to any provocations,” the statement also read.

The launches come as the United States and South Korea continue the Freedom Shield military exercises, which run from March 9 to March 19 and involve joint command-post simulations and field training designed to strengthen allied operational coordination.

Pyongyang has long denounced these drills as hostile acts and rehearsals for invasion. DPRK officials have repeatedly warned that such exercises heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and justify strengthening the country’s defensive capabilities.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, recently condemned the exercises, describing them as a threat to regional security and calling for readiness for a “crushing and preemptive super-powerful offensive.”

Deterrence doctrine reinforced
The latest launches also come amid broader international tensions that analysts say are reinforcing the DPRK leadership’s longstanding emphasis on nuclear deterrence.

Recent reports have suggested that the war imposed on Iran by the United States and “Israel” has strengthened Pyongyang’s conviction that possessing strategic weapons is essential to safeguarding national sovereignty.

“The widening war in the Middle East – and the existential threat to the Iranian regime – has likely reinforced North Korea’s decision to build a nuclear arsenal,” according to a recent assessment.

Earlier this month, the DPRK conducted a missile launch from its newest naval destroyer during operational trials overseen by leader Kim Jong Un. The test took place aboard the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer, currently the largest warship in the DPRK fleet.

During the inspection, Kim said the development of naval nuclear capabilities was advancing steadily. “The arming of the Navy with nuclear weapons is making satisfactory progress,” he stated.

The Choe Hyon-class destroyer is designed to carry multiple missile systems through vertical launch cells and forms part of a broader modernization program aimed at strengthening the country’s maritime defense capabilities. State media reported that the vessel successfully launched a sea-to-surface strategic cruise missile during the trials, a designation often used for weapons capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Condemnation of war on Iran
The DPRK has also strongly condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as a violation of international law and a dangerous precedent for sovereign states.

A spokesperson for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said the attacks constituted “an illegal act of aggression and the most despicable form of violation of sovereignty,” accusing Washington and Tel Aviv of abusing military force to pursue “selfish and hegemonic ambitions.”

Against this backdrop of escalating global tensions and continued military pressure near its borders, Pyongyang has continued to portray its missile and nuclear programs as essential defensive measures aimed at deterring external threats.

Saturday’s launches mark the third missile test carried out by the DPRK since the beginning of 2026, following a previous launch toward the East Sea on January 27. The tests come amid continuing tensions in the region as Pyongyang signals its readiness to respond to what it describes as sustained military pressure from Washington and its allies.