North Korea launched two missiles from its eastern coast on Sunday, with the second projectile fired just three hours after the initial test. The launches follow a period of heightened rhetoric from Pyongyang, which has recently criticized US-led military exercises in the region.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense reported that the first missile was fired from the Wonsan area at approximately 3 p.m. local time. The projectile, believed to be a Hwasong-11 series short-range ballistic missile, traveled roughly 450 kilometers before landing in the East Sea. Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the projectile appeared to be a ballistic missile and noted that it landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
While details regarding the second projectile remain under analysis, South Korean officials noted that intelligence authorities from Seoul and Washington have been closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Tokyo. Should the second launch be confirmed as a ballistic missile, it would mark two such tests within a single three-hour window.
In response, South Korea’s National Security Council issued a formal condemnation, labeling the tests a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and calling on Pyongyang to cease such activities immediately. Japan also registered a formal protest through diplomatic channels in Beijing. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated, “This series of North Korean actions threatens the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community.”
The launches occur against a backdrop of ongoing friction between North Korea and the US-South Korea-Japan alliance. Pyongyang recently expressed strong opposition to naval drills conducted near Guam between August 29 and September 10. On Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, attributed the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula to these military exercises and reiterated that North Korea would continue to bolster its nuclear capabilities.
These events follow a previous missile test on September 12 and North Korea’s recent rejection of a resolution from the UN nuclear watchdog regarding its nuclear program.
