South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles on Tuesday afternoon, escalating tensions at a moment when senior US defence officials are visiting Seoul. The missiles were fired around 3:50pm local time from an area near Pyongyang and travelled roughly 350 kilometres before landing in waters off the country’s eastern coast.
Japan’s Coast Guard separately confirmed that the projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles fell into the Sea of Japan within minutes of launch. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi assured the public that the missiles posed no immediate threat to Japan.
The launches add to a string of short‑range missile and rocket tests North Korea has conducted in recent months. Pyongyang claims these developments are part of its strategic nuclear arsenal, designed to counter what it calls threats from the United States and South Korea.
Intelligence assessments suggest North Korea has also supplied short‑range ballistic missiles and artillery to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, under a 2024 mutual defence agreement. Analysts say Moscow’s interest in North Korean weapons has further encouraged Pyongyang’s rapid missile development.
Tuesday’s launches coincided with the visit of a senior Pentagon official to Seoul, where discussions focused on modernising the US–South Korea military alliance. The timing is widely seen as a deliberate signal from Pyongyang.
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