North Korea launched two missiles from its eastern coast on Sunday, marking its second set of tests in about a week. The first short range ballistic missile took off around 3 pm local time from the Wonsan area. South Korean military officials said the projectile flew roughly 450 km toward the East Sea. Japan confirmed the missile landed outside its exclusive economic zone.
Just three hours later, North Korea fired a second unidentified projectile. If confirmed as another ballistic missile, this would mean two consecutive tests within a short window. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japan’s defence ministry both tracked the first launch and shared information with the United States and each other.
The tests came days after Pyongyang accused the United States of raising tensions through military drills involving South Korea and Japan. North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, had earlier blamed those exercises for worsening the situation on the Korean Peninsula. She also stated that the country would continue strengthening its nuclear forces.
South Korea’s National Security Council strongly condemned the launches. It urged North Korea to stop all missile activity and noted that the tests violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the actions threaten peace and security for Japan, the region and the wider international community.
This latest activity follows a previous test on September 12. On Saturday, North Korea also rejected a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog against its nuclear programme. The country has repeatedly said that US led military exercises force it to respond with stronger defence measures.
Military analysts believe the first missile belongs to the Hwasong-11 series. Full details of the second launch were not immediately available. South Korean and US intelligence agencies monitored the events from the start and kept Japan informed.
These repeated tests continue to raise concerns about stability in East Asia. Neighbouring countries and global powers are watching closely as North Korea shows no sign of slowing its weapons development.
