North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward East Sea, JCS says

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Monday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed that same day. The launch came nine days after the North last fired a ballistic missile on Oct. 3.

The JCS is analyzing the missiles’ flight distance and other specifications.

North Korea previously fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area in Kangwon on Oct. 3. The South Korean military said that the missile traveled more than 700 kilometers (435 miles).

The North later announced through its state-run media that it had test-fired a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un and claimed that it flew 1,000 kilometers.

Monday’s launch came four days after the South Korean government disclosed on Thursday that it had conducted its first test launch of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle. The South Korean government reportedly announced the test in response to a land mine explosion in the demilitarized zone, which it determined was highly likely to have involved North Korean troops.

Update, Oct. 12, 2026: The Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the North launched a ballistic missile.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]