North Korea Fires Multiple Artillery Rockets Near DMZ During US-South Korea Defense Visit

North Korea fired approximately 10 artillery rockets from multiple launch systems into waters off the northern Yellow Sea coinciding with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), marking a clear show of force during heightened diplomatic activity. These launches occurred less than an hour before Hegseth's arrival at Camp Bonifas near the Joint Security Area, where he met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back for a joint border inspection, the first such visit by the two nations' defense chiefs in eight years. The rocket systems used are believed to be 240mm multiple rocket launchers capable of striking Seoul and nearby areas, though such launches do not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. This action followed a similar provocation days earlier when North Korea fired 10 artillery shells during summit talks between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized their close monitoring of North Korea's activities under a steadfast combined defense posture with the U.S., maintaining readiness to respond to any threat. Hegseth's visit also highlighted deepening U.S.-South Korea military cooperation amid broader regional security concerns, including North Korean missile threats and tensions involving China and Taiwan.