Seoul, October 2026 : North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, amid escalating tensions between the two countries following a landmine explosion along their heavily fortified border that injured three South Korean soldiers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected several ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area at around 9:20 am local time. The missiles were fired towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
“Our military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches,” the JCS said in a statement.
Japan’s Defence Ministry separately confirmed the launch of at least one suspected ballistic missile. According to South Korea’s military, some of the missiles travelled more than 900 kilometres, while Seoul and its long-standing security ally, the United States, began analysing their precise specifications.
South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency security meeting following the launches to assess the situation and review the country’s military preparedness.
The latest missile tests come amid a diplomatic dispute over a landmine explosion in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the buffer area separating the two Koreas. A joint investigation conducted by South Korea and the United Nations last week concluded that North Korea had planted the mines that exploded more than a year ago. Pyongyang has strongly denied the allegation.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticised South Korea’s demand for an apology, describing it as “despicable”. She also rejected an offer of medical equipment from Seoul.
Competing missile tests raise concerns
The latest launch follows a series of weapons tests by both countries, highlighting their efforts to strengthen military capabilities amid deteriorating relations.
On October 3, North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Kim Yo Jong subsequently claimed that the weapon incorporated unspecified artificial intelligence technology and was capable of changing its flight trajectory at low altitude.
South Korea responded days later by announcing the successful test of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Such weapons are carried into the upper atmosphere by rocket boosters or ballistic missiles before gliding towards their intended targets.
South Korea’s presidential Blue House described the system as offering “a new deterrence capability capable of striking key targets within the Korean Peninsula’s operational environment”.
The exchange of weapons tests has added to concerns about a renewed military escalation on the Korean Peninsula.
Diplomatic tensions persist
On Thursday, Kim Yo Jong said South Korea would have to demonstrate what she called “utmost respect” if it genuinely wanted to improve relations with Pyongyang.
“If they (South Korea) truly wish to restore relations between the DPRK and South Korea, they should be mindful of the other side’s feelings in every word and deed, and first demonstrate the utmost respect, consideration and sincerity,” she said, referring to North Korea by its official acronym.
The growing tensions also coincide with renewed diplomatic signals from US President Donald Trump, whose recent overtures towards Pyongyang have raised concerns in Seoul that South Korea could be sidelined in potential negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear programme.
In October, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles a day after Trump suggested he might meet Kim Jong Un later this year.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
The DMZ remains one of the world’s most heavily fortified frontiers, and incidents involving landmines and military activity have repeatedly heightened tensions between the neighbouring countries. Monday’s missile launches add another layer of uncertainty to an already strained security situation.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
