ISLAMABAD: North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday morning, marking its first weapons test since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June, according to South Korea’s military.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles were launched around 8.10 am local time (2310GMT Tuesday) from Junghwa in North Hwanghae Province, traveling northeastward toward the East Sea.
The North’s latest test follows short-range ballistic and cruise missile launches on May 8 and May 22. According to Anadolu news agency, this marks its fifth ballistic missile launch of 2025.
“Our military has stepped up monitoring in preparation for possible additional launches and is maintaining a firm readiness posture while sharing information with the United States and Japan,” the JCS said in a statement.
The latest launch comes just a few days before South Korea hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. US President Donald Trump is also expected to visit South Korea ahead of the APEC meeting.
A meeting of the National Security Council was convened in Seoul to discuss Pyongyang’s latest launch. The presidential office said the meeting was attended by national security and defense officials and reviewed the military’s response measures and assessed the potential impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
