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North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Friday, according to South Korea’s military, marking the latest in a series of weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Taekwan area of North Pyongan Province at 12:35 p.m. local time and flew about 700 kilometers (435 miles) before landing in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
The Joint Chiefs said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had monitored the launch preparations in advance and were analyzing details of the test.
Surveillance and vigilance have been strengthened against the possibility of additional launches, and information is being shared closely with the United States and Japan.
Japan’s government also confirmed the launch, reporting that the projectile likely landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and caused no damage.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that Tokyo delivered a protest note to Pyongyang through its embassy in Beijing, as there are no direct diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea.
Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru said Japan believes North Korea may continue its “provocative actions,” including missile and nuclear tests. “The government remains on alert and is doing everything possible for monitoring,” he added.
The launch came just days after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluded a two-day visit to South Korea for annual security talks, during which he praised Seoul’s plans to increase defense spending in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.
Earlier this week, South Korea reported that North Korea had fired 10 rounds of artillery into its western waters on Monday and another 10 rounds on Saturday, ahead of a summit in Gyeongju between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the summit, Lee called on Beijing to play a stronger role in encouraging Pyongyang to return to dialogue with Washington and Seoul.
North Korea’s missile launch coincided with reports of a meeting in Pyongyang between Russian and North Korean military delegations.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, Pak Yong Il, Vice Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, met with a Russian delegation led by Vice Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin to discuss strengthening military and political cooperation “in line with deepening bilateral relations.”
The meeting followed recent reports that North Korea has deployed troops to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimated that Pyongyang has sent around 15,000 soldiers, with thousands reportedly killed in combat.
North Korea has been accelerating its weapons testing, including launches of purported hypersonic and cruise missiles last month, which it claimed expanded its military capabilities.
South Korean officials said Pyongyang’s recent actions indicate an ongoing effort to improve its nuclear and missile programs amid stalled negotiations with Washington and Seoul.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country is an “irreversible” nuclear state and remains open to talks only if the United States drops its demand for denuclearization.
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