IRIA News

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North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast from the Wonsan area at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time on October 29, 2026.

The missile test comes at a time when South Korea, the United States and their regional partners reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea’s denuclearization and called for stronger enforcement of international sanctions against its weapons programs.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles traveled approximately 250 kilometers toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. JCS added that further analysis of the missiles’ specifications was underway in coordination with the United States.

The launch prompted South Korea to strengthen surveillance and maintain a heightened state of military readiness. South Korea also continued sharing information with the United States and Japan to monitor North Korea’s activities and prepare for possible additional launches.

Japan separately confirmed detecting a suspected ballistic missile launch, with Japanese authorities reporting that the projectiles did not appear to have entered the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Missile Launch Amid Rising Tensions

The latest launch followed another North Korean ballistic missile test on October 12, 2026, when multiple missiles were fired towards the sea off the country’s eastern coast. Pyongyang described that test as involving tactical ballistic missiles intended to verify improvements to a key component of its weapons system.

The October 29 launch also followed growing tensions along the inter-Korean border. A land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on September 21 injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed North Korea for the incident, while Pyongyang denied responsibility.

South Korea recently proposed military talks with North Korea to address disagreements over the location of the border and establish measures to prevent accidental clashes. As of Thursday, Pyongyang had not responded to the proposal, according to South Korean reports.

The missile launch came as both countries continued exchanging accusations over military activities near the border. North Korea has also threatened to resume anti-South Korean propaganda broadcasts from frontline loudspeakers and has indicated plans to strengthen its military posture in the area.

South Korea’s military said it was closely monitoring developments and maintaining its ability to respond to further launches. The JCS did not immediately provide a complete assessment of the latest missiles’ technical characteristics.

The launches were also the third reported missile-launch occasion by North Korea in October, according to Reuters, adding to a series of weapons tests conducted by Pyongyang this year.

South Korea, US and Partners Reaffirm Denuclearization Goal

Separately, 11 countries and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea in a joint statement issued on Wednesday, October 28.

The statement was released by South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the European Union. It emphasized the need to fully implement United Nations Security Council resolutions targeting North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

The signatories welcomed sanctions imposed by the United States, Australia and the EU during October. The measures target North Korea’s overseas labor operations, cyber activities and individuals or entities involved in its military cooperation with Russia.

According to the statement, these activities help Pyongyang generate revenue and obtain resources to support its weapons programs. The participating governments said the sanctions were intended to disrupt those financial and operational networks and counter North Korea’s military cooperation with Moscow.

The statement also called on all UN member states, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to fully implement existing sanctions resolutions against Pyongyang.

North Korea-Russia Ties

The joint statement drew on findings from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), which investigates and reports on North Korea’s violations of international sanctions.

The monitoring mechanism was established after Russia vetoed a resolution to extend the mandate of a UN expert panel overseeing sanctions enforcement in 2024. The panel’s mandate subsequently expired in April that year.

The MSMT has since published reports detailing North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia, cyber-enabled schemes involving North Korean information technology workers, and overseas labor operations that generate revenue for the country.

Its September 2026 report examined North Korea’s use of overseas workers to raise funds for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. Earlier reports also documented alleged links between cyber activities, revenue generation and Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow.

The participating governments said they would continue monitoring and exposing attempts to evade international sanctions. They also reaffirmed their support for the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions and called on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

The latest missile launch and the coordinated sanctions statement underscore the continuing focus on North Korea’s weapons development, regional military tensions, and the international effort to restrict the resources available to its nuclear and missile programs.