N. Korea remains silent on Monday's ballistic missile launch

North Korea has not addressed its latest missile launch conducted on Monday, something it typically does the day after.

Instead, the regime's media have focused on condemning the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drill.

Choi Min-jung reports.

North Korea fired what are presumed to be multiple close-range ballistic missiles toward the West Sea on Monday, but the regime's state media has remained silent about the launch.

As of 7 AM Tuesday, the regime's Korean Central News Agency and Rodong Sinmun had yet to report on the missile launch conducted the previous day.

North Korea typically acknowledges its ballistic missile launches the following morning through state media, often framing them as test firings.

However, this time, it has made no mention of the launch.

Instead, the KCNA criticized the ongoing South Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield joint military exercise.

It labeled the exercise a "provocative and confrontational war rehearsal," and denounced the drills as "the largest-ever joint military exercise, carried out in an unprecedentedly reckless manner."

It also claimed the exercise "clearly exposes who is responsible for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

The Rodong Sinmun called the drills "a nuclear war exercise," citing the mobilization of "advanced nuclear weapons."

The criticisms come as Seoul and Washington's annual Freedom Shield exercise kicked off on Monday.

Following the North's launch,.. the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement, calling on Pyongyang to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts.

It added that "U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan remain ironclad."

The EU also denounced North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch, stating that it threatens regional security, heightens tensions, and violates UN Security Council resolutions.

Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.