North Korea launches several missiles towards the East China Sea
Missiles launched from Wonsan mark the fourth launch in 2026. Seoul: 'Ready to respond to any provocation'
During the Italian night, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles towards the East China Sea, according to South Korean armed forces reports. The launches reportedly started after an initial report by the Seoul military of an 'unidentified missile'.
South Korea's warning
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they detected the short-range missiles launched from the Wonsan area in the North at around 8.50am local time. They would have covered about 240 kilometres, confirming the fourth ballistic missile launch from North Korea since the beginning of the year. "Our armed forces are closely monitoring North Korea's various movements as part of a robust joint defence posture between South Korea and the United States and maintain the necessary capabilities and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The context
This episode comes after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over some drone flights by private individuals into North Korean territory. South Korean and US intelligence authorities have been monitoring the launch-related movements and have closely shared relevant information, he added. The day before these new launches, North Korea had fired an unidentified projectile from the Pyongyang area, currently awaiting analysis by South Korean and US intelligence authorities.
