Tensions escalate on Korean Peninsula amid military drills

Monday 10 March 2025 - 15:34

By: Zahouani Ilham

Tensions escalate on Korean Peninsula amid military drills

On Monday, North Korea launched multiple unidentified ballistic missiles, according to South Korea's military, coinciding with the start of the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, known as Freedom Shield.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles were fired from Hwanghae province into the West Sea around 13:50 (0450 GMT). In response, they emphasized the need for increased surveillance and readiness, in close collaboration with the United States. The US maintains a significant military presence in South Korea, and the joint drills are frequently conducted to enhance defensive capabilities.

These exercises have long angered North Korea, which perceives them as rehearsals for an invasion. Pyongyang often retaliates by testing its own weapons. On the same day, North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the drills, calling them a "provocative act" that could trigger conflict. They warned of the possibility of an accidental outbreak of war due to the heightened tensions.

The Freedom Shield 2025 exercise, which started on Monday, involves live, virtual, and field-based training and will continue until March 20. The exercises follow a recent incident on March 6, where South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a village during a joint training session with US forces, injuring 31 individuals.

The relationship between North and South Korea has worsened in recent years, with North Korea frequently launching ballistic missiles in defiance of UN sanctions. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, but a peace treaty was never signed, leaving the two countries technically still at war.

North Korea has consistently criticized the Freedom Shield exercises, calling them aggressive and confrontational. Just last week, the North denounced the US for "political and military provocations" after a US Navy aircraft carrier visited South Korea.