Joint South Korean-US Military Exercise Begins, North Korea Launches A Number Of Ballistic Missiles From Hwanghae

JAKARTA - North Korea launched a number of ballistic missiles towards the West Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, as Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises.

This marks North Korea's first ballistic missile test since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said they detected a launch from the interior of Hwanghae Province in North Korea at around 1:50 p.m., but gave no further details, quoted by The Korea Times March 10.

JCS said it had increased surveillance and maintained a full alert attitude under close cooperation with the United States.

It is known that Ginseng Country and Uncle Sam's country are starting an annual joint military exercise entitled "Freedom Shield" starting on Monday for the next 11 days.

Pyongyang itself is known to have long criticized the joint ally's exercises as training for an invasion of him and has a track record of carrying out weapons tests in response.

North Korea released a consecutive statement condemning the latest joint exercise, threatening Seoul and Washington would pay a "terrible" price for their "dangerous provocative actions".