North Korea fired several ballistic missiles over the country’s eastern coastline on Monday, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.
The missile launches were North Korea’s latest ballistic weapons test, while tensions continue to escalate in northeast Asia and the Korean peninsula. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Jang Do-young said the country’s northern neighbor launched different types of missiles from around Pyongyang, with one flying over 559 miles to land in the Sea of Japan, according to the Associated Press.
Japan’s leadership also held an emergency press conference in response to the missile launch. Takashi Koyari, Japanese vice minister of defense for policy, said two missiles were launched, with the other reaching about 137 miles. Koyari said Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. are investigating the missile that traveled over 559 miles, “including the possibility of an irregular trajectory.”
Koyari said this marks North Korea’s 11th missile launch of the year, more than double the number it conducted in 2025. He also added that there were no incursions into Japanese territory.
“To date, no reports of damage from aircraft or ships have been confirmed. Including the repeated launches of ballistic missiles and other projectiles to date, this series of actions by North Korea threatens the peace and security of our country, the region, and the international community,” Koyari said in the translated statement.
North Korea’s Monday launch also comes several days after South Korea tested a hypersonic missile last week.
JAPAN SEEKS US HELP TO BRING NORTH KOREAN ABDUCTEES HOME
President Donald Trump has committed to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of 2026 as Kim has amped up his ballistic missile tests. Trump told reporters in August that “as long as we have a smart president,” Kim is “going to be fine.”
“I get along with him — that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump told reporters. “He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to happen. They should have never allowed it. If I were president, I wouldn’t have allowed it, but he’s got them.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
