North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Into Sea of Japan Amid Rising Tensions

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday morning, South Korea’s military said, with at least one of the missiles traveling more than 900 kilometers.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launches at around 9:20 a.m. local time from the Pyongyang area. Japan’s coast guard separately reported that a projectile believed to be a North Korean ballistic missile appeared to have fallen into the sea, and Japan’s defense ministry confirmed the launch.

Analysis Underway

South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the missiles’ exact specifications, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When asked whether the missiles could be hypersonic or intermediate-range weapons, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, “We need a more detailed analysis.”

South Korea’s military said it has stepped up surveillance and readiness against possible additional launches, while South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely sharing information on the launches.

Rising Tensions on the Peninsula

Monday’s launches came four days after South Korea’s first publicly disclosed test of a domestically developed hypersonic missile on Oct. 8, which was overseen by President Lee Jae Myung. South Korea’s military said its preliminary assessment includes the possibility that Pyongyang was responding to that test while demonstrating progress in its own missile capabilities.

The launches also come nine days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on Oct. 3, and amid heightened military tensions following a recent land mine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean officers.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and Aju Press.