North Korea fires missiles as Trump sides with Kim on war games

North Korea fires new round of missiles hours after Trump sided with Kim over war games.

South Koreans watch a North Korean missile launch at the Seoul Railway Station. Picture: Getty Images.

North Korea has fired another round of missiles, only hours after Donald Trump expressed sympathy for Kim Jong-un's opposition to US-South Korea war games.

Mr Trump yesterday refused to criticise the missile tests which Pyongyang says are a “solemn warning” over the exercises

He said he had received a “beautiful letter” from Mr Kim expressing Pyongyang’s anger over the joint war games and foresaw another meeting with Mr Kim.

However hours later, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired two more apparent rockets into the or Sea of Japan.

It was the fifth round of missile launches in two weeks, and came just days after US and South Korean forces began their defence readiness exercises, which Mr Kim’s government has said are a “flagrant violation” of the diplomatic process between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul.

The newest launch came after Mr Trump strained to keep the door open for denuclearisation negotiations with Mr Kim after months in which no progress has been made.

While other US officials have called the launches “provocations,” Mr Trump said he agreed with the North Korean leader and was hoping to meet him again, with talks having been frozen for months.

“I got a very beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un yesterday,” Mr Trump said. “It was a very positive letter.

“He wasn’t happy with the war games.

“As you know, I’ve never liked it either. I’ve never been a fan. And you know why? I don’t like paying for it.”

Hours later, the White House had no immediate comment on the newest rocket tests.

“We are aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea, and we continue to monitor the situation. We are consulting closely with our Japanese and South Korean allies,” a senior administration official said. .