North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea on Saturday, according to South Korea’s military, continuing a series of weapons tests as tensions between the two Koreas increase following land mine explosions near their border that injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was fired from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s eastern coast and traveled more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). South Korean and U.S. forces were examining the details of the launch. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the missile fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korea’s military increased surveillance and maintained a heightened state of readiness in anticipation of additional launches. Seoul also continued to coordinate closely with the United States and Japan over the situation.
The office overseeing South Korea’s national security urged Pyongyang to stop its repeated ballistic missile launches immediately. It described the tests as violations of U.N. Security Council sanctions and said they were serious actions that could further complicate efforts to manage the current tensions.
U.S. Pacific Command said the missile launch did not present an immediate danger to American personnel or territory or to U.S. allies.
The latest missile test occurred one day after Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticized South Korea's demand that Pyongyang apologize for the Sept. 21 land mine explosions. The blasts occurred roughly 10 meters (11 yards) south of the military demarcation line separating the two countries.
South Korea said a joint investigation with the U.S.-led United Nations Command concluded that North Korean mines caused the explosions. The U.N. Command subsequently said North Korea had violated the armistice agreement that brought the 1950-53 Korean War to an end.
Seoul has also urged Pyongyang to stop strengthening its border defenses, including laying mines and constructing anti-tank barriers. These activities have intensified since Kim Jong Un abandoned his government's previous policy of seeking reconciliation with South Korea in 2024 and declared the South to be a permanent enemy.
Kim Yo Jong, who is widely considered one of the most influential figures in North Korea, rejected South Korea’s demands over the mine incident on Friday. She called them “utterly pathetic” and said Pyongyang planned to permanently sever relations with Seoul. In an earlier statement, she denied that North Korea was responsible for the explosions and warned that her country could respond if South Korean forces attacked North Korean troops working on border fortifications.
Saturday’s missile firing was the latest in a series of military activities by North Korea in recent weeks. These have included missile launches, live-fire military drills and the introduction of a new warship. Kim Jong Un has continued expanding and displaying North Korea’s nuclear capabilities despite calls from the United States to resume diplomatic negotiations.
Wonsan was also the location of a Sept. 20 weapons test that North Korean state media described as involving a hypersonic missile system. North Korea has developed a broad range of weapons intended to challenge and potentially overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea.
Diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United States and South Korea have remained largely frozen since nuclear negotiations between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump broke down in 2019. Since then, Kim has increasingly strengthened ties with Moscow, providing thousands of troops and substantial quantities of weapons to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
After years of expanding its weapons program, North Korea now possesses a significant stockpile of nuclear-capable missiles. Its arsenal includes long-range missiles that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland as well as shorter-range weapons capable of targeting South Korea and Japan.
In August, Trump reduced the scale of a major military exercise with South Korea, apparently in an effort to create conditions for renewed dialogue with Kim. North Korea has long criticized such exercises, describing them as preparations for an invasion.
Pyongyang has so far rejected Trump’s efforts to reopen talks. North Korea says Washington must first end what it calls its “hostile policy,” which includes U.S.-led sanctions and joint military exercises with South Korea. It also insists that Washington abandon denuclearization as a requirement for negotiations.