FILE — A government-released photo dated April 12, 2026, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observing missile test launches at an undisclosed site. Independent journalists were not allowed to cover the event; the image carries a KCNA watermark and has not been independently verified. AP/KCNA via KNS.
SEOUL — North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea Sunday, officials in the region said, adding to a series of weapons tests this year. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the launches occurred Sunday morning from the eastern Sinpo area. Seoul said it has increased surveillance and is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
South Korea’s presidential office said the National Security Council will convene an emergency meeting to review the situation. Japan’s Defense Ministry also detected the launches and said the missiles appeared to fall into waters off North Korea’s east coast. Tokyo strongly protested the actions, saying they threaten regional and international peace and violate U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban Pyongyang’s ballistic activity.
The launches follow recent demonstrations of new weapons: last week North Korea said Kim Jong Un supervised missile tests launched from a destroyer and vowed continued, unspecified steps to pursue the “limitless expansion” of its nuclear forces and to sharpen nuclear strike and rapid-response capabilities.
Separately, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said last week the agency has confirmed “a rapid increase” in activity at North Korean nuclear facilities. Neighbors and international monitors continue to express concern about the growing pace of North Korea’s weapons and nuclear programs.