Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency security situation inspection meeting led by the National Security Office to review readiness postures following North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launch.

The National Security Office announced that it convened the emergency security situation inspection meeting today (August 20) with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after North Korea fired over 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea.

During the meeting, the Security Office reviewed South Korea's response posture, analyzed and evaluated the impact of this launch on national security, and directed necessary measures.

In particular, given that the country is currently in the middle of the Ulchi exercises, the office emphasized maintaining absolute perfection in military readiness.

It also urged North Korea to immediately halt such actions, condemning the ballistic missile launch as a grave act that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it detected more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at around 5 p.m. today.

This marks North Korea's first ballistic missile launch in eight days, following the previous one on August 12.

North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch took place amid the Ulchi Freedom Shield, the theater-level South Korea-U.S. joint exercises running through tomorrow (August 21), and following U.S. President Donald Trump's public offers for dialogue.

(Photo: Yonhap News)