North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday, according to South Korea’s military. The first missile, fired from the Wonsan area at approximately 3:00 p.m. local time, traveled around 450 kilometers into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. A second missile was launched later at about 5:50 p.m. from the same region and flew more than 600 kilometers. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that South Korean, U.S., and Japanese authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine the exact specifications of the second missile.
Following the initial launch, South Korea’s presidential National Security Office held an emergency meeting to assess the potential impact on national security. The government condemned the missile firings as a “grave act” and urged Pyongyang to immediately cease its ballistic missile tests, citing violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Japan responded by lodging a formal protest against North Korea’s actions, describing the missile launches as a threat to regional peace and security.
These latest missile tests come amid heightened tensions after North Korea recently reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state in response to a United Nations resolution demanding it halt its nuclear activities. Pyongyang has dismissed the resolution, with a foreign ministry spokesperson asserting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution “has no effect on the DPRK’s position as a nuclear weapons state.” The spokesperson emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear status is “guaranteed by the actual nuclear deterrent and irreversibly and permanently fixed by the supreme law of the state.”
In recent weeks, North Korea conducted a joint firepower drill that included multiple short-range ballistic missiles and long-range artillery, which state media reported hit their targets with full accuracy. During the same period, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, reiterated the country’s nuclear stance, labeling its nuclear-armed status as “absolute” and criticizing those advocating for denuclearization.
The missile launches on Sunday mark the latest in a series of provocations by North Korea, coming just eight days after multiple missile firings into the East Sea, underscoring ongoing regional security concerns. U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated in August that North Korea possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, while South Korean estimates range between 80 and 120 warheads.