U.S. Pacific Command says North Korea fired 2 ballistic missiles, reaffirms defense commitment

U.S. Pacific Command (Pacom) said Monday that North Korea launched two ballistic missiles recently while stressing that the move poses no immediate threat to the United States or its allies.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched two ballistic missiles on October 12, 2026 [KST]," the command said in a statement, referring to North Korea by its official name.

The command said it was aware of the launches and was consulting closely with its allies and partners. "Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," it said.

It added that the United States remains "committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region."

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday it detected the launch at about 9:20 a.m. from the Pyongyang area and that at least one missile flew more than 900 kilometers (559.2 miles).

The North's latest missile launch came after it fired one ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on Oct. 3.

Yonhap