North Korea Launches Multiple Rockets Toward East Sea – Live Updates, Expert Analysis & Global Impact

North Korea fired more than ten rockets from mobile multiple-launch systems near Pyongyang at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The salvos flew northwest toward the Yellow Sea, marking the North’s largest daylight rocket drill in more than a year and coming less than 24 hours after the United States, South Korea and Japan completed joint air-power exercises over the peninsula. KEY DETAILS OF THE LAUNCH • Launch site: Sunan district, just north of Pyongyang’s main international airport • Number of rounds: “Over ten” guided rockets, believed to be 240 mm and 300 mm caliber • Flight path: Low-altitude trajectories toward uninhabited waters of the Yellow Sea • Duration: Entire volley completed in roughly 15 minutes, suggesting rapid-fire capability MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC REACTION South Korea placed its military on heightened alert and convened a National Security Council meeting chaired by President Yoon Suk-yeol. Seoul denounced the test as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the use of ballistic technology, although North Korea argues that large-caliber rockets are not covered by those measures. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it is consulting closely with allies and reaffirmed an “ironclad” commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan. Tokyo’s defense ministry tracked the rocket trajectories but confirmed no objects entered Japanese waters or airspace. WHY THIS TEST MATTERS NOW 1. Message after allied drills: Analysts say Pyongyang timed the launch to signal deterrence following this week’s U.S.–ROK–Japan air exercises, which featured American B-1B strategic bombers. 2. Escalating pattern: Today’s volley is North Korea’s fifth projectile event since April and its first daylight firing of multiple rockets this year, underscoring leader Kim Jong-un’s vow to expand “tactical nuclear” options. 3. Domestic optics: State media has highlighted modernization of so-called “super-large” rocket artillery capable of carrying nuclear warheads; a successful rapid-fire test bolsters regime propaganda ahead of the 25 June “Day of Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism.” REGIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS • Air-defense saturation: Concentrated rocket salvos complicate interception by South Korea’s Patriot PAC-3 and KM-SAM batteries, prompting discussion of thicker missile-shield layers. • Arms-race pressure: Seoul’s ruling party reiterated plans to accelerate indigenous long-range missile and submarine programs, while Japan weighs additional Aegis Ashore radars. • Diplomatic deadlock: Efforts to restart nuclear talks remain frozen as North Korea ties denuclearization to an end to “hostile policy.” Washington insists Pyongyang return to talks “without preconditions,” a stance rejected by Kim’s government. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT South Korea’s JCS said it is analyzing launch footage to determine whether guidance upgrades were tested. Intelligence officials are also watching for a possible follow-on test of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, which North Korea showcased in April. Any long-range launch could trigger an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting and additional unilateral sanctions by Washington and its allies. TRAVEL AND COMMERCIAL IMPACT • Aviation: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has not issued new advisories, but several airlines are rerouting flights farther south of the Yellow Sea as a precaution. • Shipping: The South Korean Coast Guard warned commercial vessels to monitor NAVAREA I-XII bulletins for debris or splashdown zones. BOTTOM LINE Thursday’s rapid-fire rocket exercise underscores North Korea’s evolving short-range strike doctrine aimed at overwhelming allied defenses and deterring pre-emptive action. With diplomacy stalled and larger missile tests anticipated, regional tensions are set to remain high throughout the summer drill cycle.