North Korea Launches Multiple Rockets Following Joint Military Drills

On the morning of June 19, a day after the joint air exercises conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, North Korea reportedly fired over ten multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) into the Yellow Sea. According to various government sources, the launches occurred near Pyongyang.

The rockets launched are believed to be 240mm MRLs rather than the larger 600mm super-large rockets classified as ballistic missiles. Typically, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) promptly informs the media about any ballistic missile provocations from North Korea. A JCS official stated, "Since this was not a ballistic missile launch, we did not issue a separate announcement. Non-ballistic MRLs are fired regularly," indicating that this was more of a routine exercise than a provocation.

Military experts suggest that the MRLs launched may be an upgraded version of the 240mm MRLs revealed by North Korea in 2024. Kim Jong-un was seen operating a mobile launcher for these upgraded MRLs during a visit to the Pyongyang Automobile Factory last May. North Korea has previously released images of test firings claiming to have added guidance capabilities to these MRLs in May and October of last year. Military sources speculate that these recent launches could serve as either a test for improvements or a showcase for potential support to Russia.

As North Korea conducts these MRL exercises, attention is also focused on the upcoming live-fire training scheduled for the South Korean Marine Corps in the Northwestern Islands at the end of this month. Following the suspension of the 9·19 military agreement last year, the Marine Corps has resumed quarterly live-fire training exercises using K9 self-propelled howitzers in the Northwestern Islands. However, with President Lee Jae-myung pledging to restore the 9·19 military agreement, there are concerns that South Korea may preemptively halt live-fire training in border areas.