North Korea fires around 10 missiles in show of force toward eastern sea: Seoul says

North Korea has conducted 10 ballistic missile tests into sea on Saturday, March 14, 2026 as per South Korea’s military.

These missile launches come just after 11 days of annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. and the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to South Korea’s military, who said North Korea has fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward eastern sea.

While on the other hand, the Defense Ministry in Tokyo also confirmed the launches of “multiple ballistic missiles” from North Korea’s western coast, which covered about 340 kilometers of distance falling outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

The South’s Joint Chiefs added that the military has beefed up surveillance activity and is maintaining readiness against potential further launches while keeping close contact with the U.S. and Japan.

North Korea has long been maintaining its stance that allies’ drills are invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a reason for its own military demonstrations or weapons testing.

The joint military exercises named “Freedom Shield,” which run through March 19, are one of two annual command post exercises of the U.S. and South Korean militaries.

Washington and Seoul have long been insisting on North Korea denouncing its nuclear program and resuming diplomacy.

But talks were disrupted in 2019 following the failure of Kim Jong Un’s second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.