North Korea Launches Missiles After US Scales Back Drills

North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, hours after the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un rejected President Donald Trump's decision to scale back joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises. The launches from the Pyongyang area came as a direct rebuke to what the White House had presented as a goodwill gesture aimed at restarting talks.

Kim Yo Jong, speaking through state media, called the reduced drills unworthy of comment and said North Korea had no interest in them at all. She described the exercises as still provocative and offensive in nature, despite the shorter schedule and fewer field maneuvers. Her statement directly contradicted Trump's claim earlier in the week that he had received a positive response from Kim Jong Un, with Kim Yo Jong stating she was unaware of any such communication between the two sides.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began Monday, was originally set to run for 11 days but will now end Friday. The Pentagon confirmed the cuts followed Trump's orders, citing costs and a desire to send a less hostile signal. South Korean and U.S. officials had already scaled back live training events and shifted some activities to simulations. Trump has repeatedly pointed to his past personal rapport with the North Korean leader as a reason to expect progress.

Pyongyang's missile volley, detected around 5 p.m. local time and aimed at eastern waters, prompted an emergency meeting of South Korea's national security council. Officials there urged the North to stop launches that violate U.N. resolutions and said they were coordinating closely with Washington and Tokyo. Japan's prime minister's office also reported detecting the activity.

The episode underscores the limits of Trump's approach, which relies heavily on personal outreach and unilateral concessions rather than sustained pressure or coordinated diplomacy. North Korea has shown no sign of halting its weapons development, and the missile tests arrive just as the reduced drills were meant to open the door for renewed engagement. South Korean forces have increased surveillance in response, while the broader pattern of tests continues without interruption.

Trump has said he anticipates a meeting with Kim Jong Un later this year, but Thursday's actions suggest Pyongyang sees little value in the current overture. The contradiction between the president's public assertions and Kim Yo Jong's flat denial leaves the administration's North Korea strategy looking adrift, with military provocations filling the vacuum left by stalled talks.