North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast on Wednesday, according to South Korean and Japanese authorities, marking Pyongyang's second reported ballistic missile launch in less than a week. The test comes just days before the United States and South Korea are set to begin major joint military exercises.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea's eastern coast at around 6 a.m. local time and traveled more than 700 kilometers, or roughly 435 miles. Japan's defense ministry also detected the launch and said the missile landed in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, reaching a maximum altitude of about 90 kilometers, or 56 miles.
The launch follows an earlier ballistic missile test on August 6, when South Korea, the United States and Japan detected a short-range ballistic missile fired from North Korea's Wonsan area. That missile landed in waters off North Korea's east coast and did not reach Japanese territory, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at the time. It was North Korea's first ballistic missile launch since late June, when the country tested a tactical ballistic missile carrying what state media described as a special mission warhead, along with other weapons.
The timing of both launches is notable. They come just days after South Korea and the United States announced that their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises would begin on August 17 and run through August 27. According to United States Forces Korea, the drills are designed to build coordination between Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, the United Nations Command and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and will include live, virtual, constructive and field-based training. U.S. and South Korean officials describe the exercises as defensive in nature, while North Korea has consistently characterized them as rehearsals for an invasion. Experts cited by the Associated Press said North Korea has often used the timing of U.S.-South Korean military exercises as a pretext to ramp up its own weapons testing.
Seoul and Tokyo React
South Korea's National Security Council convened an emergency meeting following Wednesday's launch and described North Korea's continued ballistic missile testing as an act of provocation, according to South Korean officials. The council urged Pyongyang to halt activities that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit North Korea from conducting ballistic missile launches. South Korea's military said it remains prepared to respond to any provocation under its combined defense posture with the United States, and Reuters reported that the military said it would respond overwhelmingly if necessary.
Japan lodged a formal protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels following the launch. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the launch was a serious problem affecting the safety of the Japanese people, and said Tokyo had strongly condemned the test. Japan's government had also protested the August 6 launch through the two countries' embassies in Beijing, with Koizumi saying at the time that North Korea's repeated missile launches pose a threat to Japan and the wider region.
Following the August 6 test, U.S. Pacific Command said it was monitoring the launch and consulting closely with allies and partners in the region. In a statement, the command said that based on current assessments, the launch did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory or allies, while reiterating that the United States remains committed to defending the homeland and its regional allies. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military bolstered its surveillance posture and coordinated with the U.S. and Japan after that launch.
There was no immediate statement from Pyongyang regarding Wednesday's launch, though North Korea often releases details of its weapons tests a day or more after they occur.
A Broader Pattern of Testing and Alliances
Wednesday's launch is part of a broader continuation of North Korea's weapons-testing programs this year, which have included short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and other tactical weapons. Kim Jong Un said following the late-June tests that his military needed to bolster what he called its deadly and destructive offensive posture.
Pyongyang's missile and nuclear development has continued and expanded since diplomatic talks between Kim and then-President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019, despite UN Security Council resolutions barring such launches. Analysts say Kim may be seeking to use an enlarged weapons arsenal to strengthen his negotiating position with Washington in any future talks, including over sanctions relief.
The latest tests also come as North Korea deepens ties with both Russia and China. North Korea has supplied troops and ammunition in support of Russia's war in Ukraine, while its relationship with China has drawn renewed attention following a June visit to Pyongyang by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first trip to the North Korean capital in seven years.
For now, the immediate focus remains on the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises set to begin August 17, and whether North Korea conducts further missile tests as the drills get underway. South Korea's military has said it remains on alert and coordinated with the United States and Japan, while officials in Seoul and Tokyo continue to press Pyongyang to halt what they describe as ongoing violations of international sanctions.
