North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reporting that one projectile flew over 900 kilometers (559 miles) from the Pyongyang area. Japan's coastguard tracked two suspected ballistic missiles, while Seoul's presidential office condemned the tests as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and demanded an immediate halt.
Military spokesperson Jang Do-young characterized the launch as an apparent show of force following South Korea's first hypersonic missile test on Thursday, which was overseen by President Lee Jae Myung. The firing also follows Pyongyang's October 3 test of a hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to evade missile defenses in South Korea and Japan, highlighting an accelerating weapons race on the peninsula.
Tensions were already elevated after a Demilitarized Zone landmine blast wounded three soldiers last week, which a joint South Korean and UN inquiry determined was caused by mines North Korea planted roughly a year ago. Although President Lee pledged to pursue dialogue after taking office in 2025, Kim Jong Un continues expanding his weapons program and refusing talks, demanding Washington drop its denuclearization stance following the collapse of negotiations with Donald Trump in 2019.
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