U.S. military says it is aware of North Korean missile launches, reaffirms defense commitment to allies

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Thursday that it is aware of North Korean ballistic missile launches this week, reaffirming America's commitment to the defense of regional allies.

U.S. Pacific Command released a statement hours after Pyongyang fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea amid the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise that it has decried as a rehearsal for war.

"We are aware of the recent missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the command said in a statement.

"Based on current assessments, these events do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region," it added.

North Korea's latest missile launches came although U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the scaling back of the ongoing allied exercise. The order was seen as a conciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang at a time when Trump seeks to resume diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Yonhap