By Kenji Tanaka | May 26, 2026 | Breaking News
SEOUL — North Korea fired several projectiles, including at least one short-range ballistic missile, toward waters off the country’s west coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, in the first known missile launch since April 19.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launches occurred at around 1 p.m. local time (0400 GMT) from near Chongju in North Pyongan Province. The missile flew approximately 80 kilometres before splashing into the Sea of Japan, according to the JCS statement.
Seoul’s military said it was analyzing the full scope of the launches in coordination with the United States. Japan’s defence ministry also confirmed it was monitoring the situation closely.
The launch marks a significant escalation at a time when regional tensions are already running high. Earlier this month, North Korea test-fired several short-range ballistic missiles it said were equipped with cluster warheads — part of what analysts describe as a systematic effort to showcase Pyongyang’s growing capacity to wage a modern, high-intensity conflict.
In early April, state media reported that North Korea successfully tested a new cluster-bomb warhead on a ballistic missile and an electromagnetic weapon. Defence analysts said the tests reflected Kim Jong-un’s broader strategy of accelerating the country’s nuclear and conventional arsenal expansion despite international sanctions.
Kim himself declared in March that North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state was “irreversible,” and that building up a “self-defensive nuclear deterrent” was essential to national survival.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on Pyongyang to “respond positively” to Seoul’s peace overtures and efforts to reduce tensions on the peninsula. The spokesperson said Seoul would maintain its commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula while pursuing a “phased and pragmatic approach” in close coordination with the international community.
The timing is notable: the launches come as Quad foreign ministers meet in New Delhi to discuss regional security, with the Iran conflict and supply chain vulnerabilities high on the agenda. The missile test is likely to feature in those discussions, adding another layer of complexity to already fraught US-North Korea dynamics.
South Korean and US intelligence services are continuing to analyse the launches. There was no immediate comment from North Korean state media.
This is a developing story. Updates to follow.