North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, marking Pyongyang's fourth launch in a month and following Seoul's recent test of a hypersonic missile.
The ballistic missiles, which appeared to be of different types, were fired at around 9:20 a.m. local time from near Pyongyang, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. One type flew more than 900 km (559 miles). Earlier, Japan's coast guard said North Korea had fired two unidentified projectiles, believed to be ballistic missiles, adding that both appeared to have already fallen.
Emergency meeting in Seoul
South Korea's National Security Office convened an emergency meeting, where it condemned the missile launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and urged an immediate stop. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006, aimed at halting Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
A spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday's launches appeared to be "a show of force in response to the successful test launch of our hypersonic missile, as well as an intentional demonstration of missile capabilities." Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first test-firing of a hypersonic missile — a rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president.
A tense month on the peninsula
North Korea last fired a ballistic missile on October 3, with state media KCNA saying it was a hypersonic missile tested under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un. The tests followed a border mine blast last month that wounded three South Korean soldiers; Seoul said the landmines had been planted by North Korea and demanded an apology, which Pyongyang dismissed while accusing South Korea of provocation.
Pyongyang has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year, including four in the last month. The unusually frequent launches indicate Pyongyang wants to increase its leverage ahead of a potential summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, according to Song Seong-jong, a professor at Daejeon University and a former South Korean Defence Ministry official.
Sources:
- [North Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test](https://kelofm.com/2026/10/11/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-toward-sea-off-its-east-coast-seoul-says/)
The ballistic missiles, which appeared to be of different types, were fired at around 9:20 a.m. local time from near Pyongyang, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. One type flew more than 900 km (559 miles). Earlier, Japan's coast guard said North Korea had fired two unidentified projectiles, believed to be ballistic missiles, adding that both appeared to have already fallen.
Emergency meeting in Seoul
South Korea's National Security Office convened an emergency meeting, where it condemned the missile launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and urged an immediate stop. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006, aimed at halting Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
A spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday's launches appeared to be "a show of force in response to the successful test launch of our hypersonic missile, as well as an intentional demonstration of missile capabilities." Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first test-firing of a hypersonic missile — a rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president.
A tense month on the peninsula
North Korea last fired a ballistic missile on October 3, with state media KCNA saying it was a hypersonic missile tested under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un. The tests followed a border mine blast last month that wounded three South Korean soldiers; Seoul said the landmines had been planted by North Korea and demanded an apology, which Pyongyang dismissed while accusing South Korea of provocation.
Pyongyang has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year, including four in the last month. The unusually frequent launches indicate Pyongyang wants to increase its leverage ahead of a potential summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, according to Song Seong-jong, a professor at Daejeon University and a former South Korean Defence Ministry official.
Sources:
- [North Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test](https://kelofm.com/2026/10/11/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-toward-sea-off-its-east-coast-seoul-says/)
