Seoul, 10 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - North Korea on Monday fired multiple ballistic missiles into the sea, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing Seoul's military.

The launch came as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual combined military drills, known as the Freedom Shield, which are scheduled to last 11 days.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul said it detected the missile launch from North Korea's western Hwanghae Province at around 1:50 pm (0450 GMT) but provided no further details, according to Yonhap.

The JCS added that it has increased surveillance efforts and is working closely with the United States.

North Korea condemns the allies' joint exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion against it.

Monday's test marks its first known ballistic missile launch since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, according to Yonhap.

North Korea is prohibited by UN resolutions from launching or even testing ballistic missiles of any range. These are usually surface-to-surface missiles that can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead.

Pyongyang has significantly expanded its missile tests over the past two years, while sharpening its rhetoric against the US and South Korea. It has also strengthened its military cooperation with Russia.

Photo: EPA