North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles Toward East Sea From Pyongyang

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, October 12, 2026, from the Pyongyang area, according to South Korea's military, as Japan also detected projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles amid renewed Korean Peninsula tensions.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said one missile traveled more than 900km from the Pyongyang area, while it did not disclose the total number of missiles detected. Japan's coastguard said two unidentified projectiles appeared to have already fallen.

South Korea's presidential office said the launches violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate halt. The latest test followed recent weapons activity by both Koreas.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's office said the hypersonic weapon, once fully developed, would improve Seoul's ability to strike key targets by surprise in the "Korean Peninsula theatre of operations," according to the presidential office.

The statement followed South Korea's first public hypersonic missile test firing overseen by Lee on Thursday. North Korea had also tested a hypersonic intermediate range missile on October 3, according to Al Jazeera.

South Korea previously said it was conducting "preliminary coordination efforts" to support dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, according to Seoul's government.

South Korea's efforts came before a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone wounded three soldiers. A joint South Korean and United Nations investigation concluded that two mines were planted by North Korean forces about a year earlier, a claim Pyongyang rejected.

North Korea's government has continued to reject denuclearization demands and has called for an end to what it describes as a "hostile" policy from Washington, according to Al Jazeera.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has continued promoting the country's nuclear weapons program while rejecting renewed diplomatic offers from the United States and South Korea. Talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump ended in 2019.