North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, as tensions run high ahead of Pyongyang's end-of-month deadline to activate propaganda loudspeakers along the heavily armed border.
The short-range missiles were launched at around 12:30pm from around Wonsan on North Korea's eastern coast and flew about 250 km (155 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
South Korea's military was strengthening surveillance and maintaining readiness in case of additional launches, while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan, it added.
Japan's Defence Ministry said North Korea had launched an object that could be a ballistic missile and that it fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, according to Yonhap News Agency. Japan's Coast Guard also said earlier the launched projectile could be a ballistic missile and had already fallen into the sea.
The Prime Minister's Office of Japan shared instructions on X in response to the suspected launch, calling for maximum efforts to gather and analyse information, and timely public updates.
South Korea's presidential National Security Office convened an emergency meeting to assess the security implications.
It urged North Korea to halt its repeated ballistic missile launches, calling them a “serious violation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions, a presidential statement said.
The launch came as tensions along the inter-Korean border have risen sharply since two mine explosions in the Demilitarised Zone on 21 September wounded three South Korean soldiers.
Seoul says the mines were planted by North Korean forces and has called the incident an armistice violation and demanded an apology. Pyongyang has denied responsibility and accused Seoul of fabricating the incident.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, announced last week that Pyongyang would place loudspeakers capable of blasting anti-South Korean propaganda on standby across the border within days.
She had earlier said the broadcasts would operate along the entire border by the end of October, though analysts in Seoul questioned whether the devices would be activated.
North Korea's military has also deployed artillery batteries visible from across the border, which South Korea's military said earlier on Thursday appeared largely intended for show.
“We assess that North Korea has several intentions, but the exposure of older weapon systems should be understood as being for show,” JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young told a briefing.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said placing artillery where it could be easily seen “makes little tactical or military sense”.
North Korean soldiers were also seen erecting fences inside the DMZ.
Jang said North Korean activity near the Military Demarcation Line bisecting the DMZ was continuing, while South Korean forces were issuing warning broadcasts and firing warning shots during incursions.
Seoul was awaiting a response to its two proposals for military talks and had urged North Korea to return to dialogue, the Defence Ministry said.
North Korea last fired ballistic missiles on 12 October. Pyongyang has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 October 2026, exploring five global flashpoints where diplomatic efforts are colliding with growing milita...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, whi...
North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's mi...
Despite losing his bloc's majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset in a hotly contested election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to remain in the lead after 70 per cent of votes were tallied on Wednesday. Figures are subject to change as counting continues.
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said on Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Jordan said its air force killed more than 20 Islamic State militants in strikes on southern Syria on Monday night.
At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less than a year on a major route linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region.
A knife-wielding attacker was shot dead by a police officer outside Israel’s embassy in Belgrade after wounding the officer, prompting Serbian authorities to raise the country’s security alert to its highest level.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 October 2026, exploring five global flashpoints where diplomatic efforts are colliding with growing military threats, from renewed hopes for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine to warnings of wider instability in Africa and Asia.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Hundreds of people living permanently aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey have been forced to disembark in Cambodia after soaring fuel costs linked to the Iran war made the cruise ship’s operations financially unsustainable.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to remain in office as caretaker prime minister after his right-wing bloc performed better than expected in the parliamentary elections, despite falling short of a majority.
Police in Madrid clashed with protesters as groups took to the streets to call for the government's resignation following a train collision that killed at least 68 people and injured dozens others.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment