U.S. and South Korea hold live-fire drills in response to North Korean missile launch over Japan

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The U.S. and South Korean held joint live-fire military drills in response to Pyongyang’s longest-range ballistic missile test that caused alarm in Japan as it flew over the country on Tuesday.

Driving the news: The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command tweeted that the exercises were designed to “showcase combined deterrent & dynamic strike capabilities” following the North Korean military’s first missile launch over Japan in five years and its fifth test in just over a week.

A South Korean F-15K fighter fires two Joint Direct Attack Munition precision bombs into an island target on Tuesday in response to North Korean ballistic missile launch earlier in the day. Photo: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

Of note: Officials in Seoul apologized after a South Korean missile failed and crashed near Gangneung during one of the drills on Wednesday.

• There were no reports of injuries, but the explosion from the malfunctioning missile caused panic in the South Korean coastal city among residents who were already worried about North Korean missiles, AP reports.

What we’re watching: The United Nations Security Council was meeting on Wednesday at the request of the U.S. to discuss the widely condemned North Korean missile launch that prompted warnings in Japan for residents to take shelter as the weapon flew over.

• White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing Tuesday the launch was a “clear violation” of Security Council resolutions.
• Officials from China and Russia opposed the meeting, Reuters notes.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a photo of an Army Tactical Missile System being fired and further context.

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