South Korea’s military reported that North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters days after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Seoul for annual security talks. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the short-range weapon travelled about 700 km (435 miles) and landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s government also reported a launch, saying the projectile likely fell in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The strike comes four days after Pyongyang fired 10 rounds of artillery into South Korea’s western waters and roughly a week after US President Donald Trump authorised Seoul to build a nuclear-powered submarine. South Korean officials and outside experts say a nuclear-powered submarine would substantially boost the country’s naval and defence capabilities. A South Korean presidential official added that Seoul hopes to receive enriched uranium from the United States to fuel the planned domestic-built vessel.
Since taking office earlier this year, Mr Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have sought to revive talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim, however, has refused direct negotiations with Washington and Seoul since earlier diplomatic efforts collapsed in 2019. In September he said he would consider talks only if the US dropped its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arsenal, and he has repeatedly described his country as an “irreversible” nuclear state.
Last month, Kim presided over a large military parade in Pyongyang that showcased a range of advanced weapons, including a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Separately, North Korean state media reported this week that senior military officials met with a Russian delegation in Pyongyang to discuss deepening cooperation. KCNA said Pak Yong Il, vice director of the Korean People’s Army General Political Bureau, met a Russian team led by Vice Defence Minister Viktor Goremykin to talk about expanding bilateral military ties in line with agreements reached between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Seoul’s intelligence agencies have warned of growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. South Korea’s spy service has detected possible recruitment and training activity in North Korea that could indicate further troop deployments to Russia. South Korean estimates suggest as many as 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to support Russian forces in Ukraine, with substantial casualties reported. The National Intelligence Service also said it believes Pyongyang has dispatched about 5,000 military construction personnel to Russia since September to assist with infrastructure and restoration projects.
South Korean and regional officials have not publicly linked the latest missile launch directly to any single event, but it adds to rising tensions on the peninsula amid expanded defence cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, North Korea’s continued weapons tests, and closer security ties between Seoul and Washington.