North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles
South Korea and Japan report new launches towards the sea as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula.
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North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the eastern waters on Monday, South Korea and Japan report. The precise number and type of missiles are still being investigated; according to Japan, the projectiles fell outside its exclusive economic zone.
The South Korean military says the missiles were launched at around 9.20am local time from the area around Pyongyang. The Joint Chiefs of Staff initially did not disclose how far the missiles had travelled or how many there were. Japan reported that it had detected at least two projectiles and that they had probably already landed.
The US news agency AP also reported the launch. According to AP, Japan’s Ministry of Defence concluded that the missiles landed in the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The reports available contain no information about damage to ships or aircraft.
The test comes several days after South Korea publicly tested its first domestically developed hypersonic weapon. President Lee Jae Myung presented the trial as a step towards strengthening South Korea’s conventional defence. The timing places the weapons tests by both countries in the same context of rising tensions, but in itself does not prove that the North Korean launch was a direct response.
North Korea had already tested a ballistic missile on 3 October. The country said through state media at the time that it was a strategic intermediate-range missile with hypersonic characteristics. That North Korean characterisation has not been independently confirmed; South Korea and other countries are analysing the technical data from the launches.
Tensions are being further fuelled by a mine explosion at the heavily guarded border in which three South Korean soldiers were injured last month. Seoul says North Korea laid the mines, while Pyongyang rejects that accusation and accuses South Korea of provocation. Both governments have also increased their military activities in recent weeks.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service demanded after an emergency meeting that North Korea immediately stop its missile tests. Seoul calls the launches a serious violation of international sanctions. North Korea has not yet provided confirmation or its own explanation of the new test in the publicly available sources; as a result, the exact number, missile types and purpose of the launch remain uncertain.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- South Korea and Japan report multiple North Korean missile launches towards the sea.
- The exact number and technical characteristics have not yet been established.
- Japan says the projectiles landed outside its exclusive economic zone.
- South Korea has condemned the launches and called on North Korea to stop them.
Left
Arguments The priority should be diplomacy, risk reduction and preventing a new arms race. New tests of indigenous weapons may increase security in the short term, but could also reinforce the logic of mutual escalation.
Values Civilian safety, the international legal order, de-escalation and room for negotiations.
Consequences A military response without a diplomatic track could further block communication; restraint, on the other hand, could be interpreted as leaving room for new provocations.
Centre
Arguments South Korea and its partners should continue to monitor the launches technically, share information and respond proportionately, while keeping diplomatic channels open. It is important to distinguish between a test and a direct attack.
Values Institutional caution, allied coordination, establishing the facts and stability.
Consequences A combination of deterrence and dialogue limits the risk of miscalculation, but requires long-term cooperation and patience.
Right
Arguments According to this approach, the launches show that North Korea can be constrained only through credible military deterrence and consistent pressure. South Korea must strengthen its defences and allies must enforce sanctions without downplaying security tests.
Values National security, deterrence, responsibility towards allies and upholding rules.
Consequences Greater defence capacity may make attacks less attractive, but Pyongyang could seize on it as justification for further missile and nuclear weapons development.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is confirmed by AP, Reuters and Yonhap. Uncertain elements are explicitly identified as provisional or unconfirmed.
- confirmed North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the eastern waters on 12 October. — Reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff and independently described by AP and Reuters. source
- confirmed The launch took place from the area around Pyongyang. — Mentioned in reports by the South Korean military and Reuters. source
- confirmed Japan detected at least two projectiles that fell outside its exclusive economic zone. — This appears in AP’s account of the assessment by Japan’s Ministry of Defence. source
- confirmed South Korea tested a self-developed hypersonic weapon for the first time several days earlier. — AP describes Friday’s test and President Lee Jae Myung’s response. source
- confirmed South Korea demanded that North Korea immediately halt its missile tests and called them a violation of international sanctions. — South Korea’s National Intelligence Service did so, according to Yonhap, after an emergency meeting. source
- uncertain North Korea has not yet provided its own explanation of the new launch in the publicly available sources. — The sources consulted contained no North Korean statement at the time of checking; later publication may change this. source
Editor's note
The launch from the area around Pyongyang, the direction of flight and South Korea’s response are certain. The exact number, types and technical performance have not yet been established; North Korean claims about earlier hypersonic weapons have not been independently confirmed.Sources
- North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, adding to streak of weapons tests — Associated Press
- North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles, South Korea says — Reuters via Interaksyon
- Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to immediately halt illegal missile launches — Yonhap News Agency
- (URGENT) N. Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles from Pyongyang area toward East Sea: JCS — Yonhap News Agency
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „noord-korea zuid-korea”
- NOS — „noord-korea zuid-korea”
- Het Parool — „noord-korea zuid-korea”