Seoul, 12 October, 2026 (Nosheen): North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Monday, further escalating regional tensions amid a prolonged suspension of diplomatic efforts. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from an area near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. One missile reportedly travelled more than 900 kilometers before falling into the sea, while Japan confirmed detecting at least two launches conducted 17 minutes apart. Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Takashi Koyari said the missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and followed flight paths that included an irregular trajectory, with no damage reported to aircraft or vessels. The latest launches come as North Korea continues expanding its arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons and conducting missile tests and military exercises. On October 3, Pyongyang tested what it described as a hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to evade missile defense systems in South Korea and Japan. The latest missile activity also followed South Korea’s test of its domestically developed hypersonic weapon, which President Lee Jae Myung said would strengthen the country’s conventional defense capabilities. South Korean military officials believe North Korea’s latest launches may have been intended to advance its missile technology and respond to Seoul’s recent weapons test.
South Korea’s presidential national security office urged Pyongyang to immediately halt its repeated ballistic missile launches, stating that the tests violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermine stability on the Korean Peninsula. Japan also lodged a protest against the launches through diplomatic channels in Beijing. Regional tensions have further increased following land mine explosions near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border last month that injured three South Korean soldiers. South Korean and United Nations Command investigations attributed the explosions to mines allegedly planted by North Korea, which has denied responsibility. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to reject renewed diplomatic engagement with Seoul and Washington. Relations between the two Koreas remain strained, while nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States have remained stalled since 2019. Pyongyang has demanded that Washington abandon its hostile policy and drop denuclearization demands as a precondition for resuming talks.