North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area on Monday, according to South Korea's military. The launch follows recent tensions over border landmine explosions and weapons tests by both Koreas.
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said. The launch occurred amid heightened tensions following landmine explosions along the border that injured three South Korean soldiers last month.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the missiles were detected around 09:20 local time (00:20 GMT) launched from the Pyongyang area towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. The military noted it had "stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches."
Japan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the detection of at least two suspected ballistic missiles. According to Japan’s Kyodo News and NHK, the Japan Coast Guard announced that the projectiles appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed relevant ministries to collect information and confirm the safety of aircraft and vessels.
The launch comes days after South Korea flight-tested its first domestically developed hypersonic weapon. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described the test as an important step in strengthening the South’s conventional defense capabilities. The South Korean presidential office said the hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) offered "a new deterrence capability capable of striking key targets within the Korean Peninsula's operational environment."
Tensions escalated after three South Korean soldiers were injured in September when landmines detonated in the Seoul-controlled area of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). A joint Seoul-UN investigation concluded that North Korea had planted the landmines over a year ago, a claim Pyongyang has denied.
North Korea has halted diplomacy with South Korea, describing its neighbor as a permanent enemy. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected Seoul’s demand for an apology for the landmine incidents, calling it "despicable." She stated, "If they (South Korea) truly wish to restore relations between the DPRK and South Korea, they should be mindful of the other side's feelings in every word and deed, and first demonstrate the utmost respect, consideration and sincerity."
North Korea has also rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls to revive diplomacy, demanding that Washington abandon its "hostile" policy and drop demands for denuclearization as preconditions for talks. The two Koreas remain technically at war, as the 1953 Korean conflict ended with a truce rather than a peace treaty.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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