North Korea Fires Several Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan (East Sea) on Monday, October 12, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported. The launch was detected at approximately 9:20 AM local time (3:20 AM Kyiv time) from an area near Pyongyang.

Launch Details

According to the JCS, the missiles traveled more than 900 kilometers. The launch comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang fired a single ballistic missile from the Wonsan area on October 3, and days after North Korean state media announced a test of a medium-range strategic missile involving hypersonic strategic weapons.

The Monday launch also came just days after South Korea conducted its first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) on Thursday — an apparent show of force following a landmine explosion on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone last month that wounded three South Korean soldiers.

Regional Response

South Korean armed forces heightened surveillance in preparation for additional launches and remain on full alert, the JCS said, adding that Seoul is closely exchanging intelligence with the United States and Japan. Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated since the September 21 DMZ explosion.