North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from near Wonsan on its east coast into the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, in its first ballistic missile launch since 12 October. The missiles flew about 250 kilometres before falling into the sea, and Japan said they did not appear to have landed in its exclusive economic zone. No damage to ships had been confirmed.
What happened
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military detected around 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, 29 October, which was 03:30 GMT and 08:30 PKT. Some early reports described the number as around a dozen; Seoul’s later account put it at around 10. The missiles flew eastward about 250 kilometres (155 miles) into the East Sea, the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s Defence Ministry said it had detected what appeared to be a ballistic missile launch, and later estimated that a missile had fallen at around 12:45 p.m. local time. The Japan Coast Guard said no damage to ships had been confirmed as of 12:55 p.m. local time, and urged vessels in the area to stay vigilant. Japan’s government set up a crisis management centre at the prime minister’s office to assess any damage.
South Korea’s military said it had stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches, and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan. South Korea’s presidential National Security Office convened an emergency meeting to assess the security implications, and urged North Korea to halt its repeated ballistic missile launches, calling them a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Why now: border tensions
Thursday’s launch comes against a sharp rise in tension along the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas. On 21 September, two mine explosions in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) wounded three South Korean soldiers. Seoul says the mines were planted by North Korean forces and has called the incident a violation of the Armistice Agreement, demanding an apology. A joint Seoul-UN investigation earlier in October concluded that North Korea had planted the landmines more than a year ago. Pyongyang has denied responsibility and accused Seoul of fabricating the incident.
Less than a week before the launch, South Korea proposed military talks with the North to mutually confirm the precise location of their border and discuss restoring communication channels. Pyongyang had not responded to that proposal at the time of the launch. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has ridiculed South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s overture, and said North Korea would place loudspeakers capable of blasting anti-South Korean propaganda on standby across the border, with broadcasts possible along the entire border by the end of October. Analysts in Seoul have questioned whether those devices will actually be activated.
North Korea’s military has also deployed artillery batteries visible from across the border. South Korea’s military said earlier on Thursday that the deployment appeared largely intended for show. A Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Jang Do-young, told a briefing that the exposure of older weapon systems should be understood as being for show, and a Defence Ministry spokesperson, Chung Binna, said placing artillery where it could be easily seen makes little tactical or military sense. Reuters witnesses this week saw three North Korean armoured vehicles, identified by South Korean experts as self-propelled 122-mm howitzers, positioned near the border with their gun barrels pointed south, and North Korean soldiers erecting fences inside the DMZ. South Korean forces have been issuing warning broadcasts and firing warning shots during incursions, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Background: a year of testing
North Korea last fired ballistic missiles on 12 October, making Thursday’s launch its first in 17 days. Pyongyang has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year, according to Seoul’s account, and has recently tested other weapons, including a new precision-guided torpedo system and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, both of which were reported to employ artificial intelligence technology.
Seoul and Pyongyang remain technically at war, as the Korean conflict ended in 1953 with a truce rather than a peace treaty. The DMZ is one of the world’s most heavily fortified frontiers, and landmine incidents there have previously heightened tensions between the two countries.
The launch also comes as US President Donald Trump’s recent overtures to North Korea have raised concerns in Seoul that South Korea, an ally of Washington, could be sidelined in potential nuclear talks involving Pyongyang. In his most recent comments, Trump downplayed the possibility of a summit while insisting his relationship with Kim Jong-un is very good. In October, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles a day after Trump suggested the two might meet this year.
Why it matters
The launch matters for three reasons. First, it breaks a 17-day pause in ballistic missile testing and shows that North Korea is still willing to demonstrate its missile capabilities despite Seoul’s offer of talks. Second, it raises the temperature on the border at a moment when both sides are already trading accusations over landmines, loudspeakers and artillery deployments, increasing the risk of a miscalculation. Third, it tests the coordination between South Korea, Japan and the United States, whose militaries said they monitored the launch from its preparation stage and tracked it immediately after launch.
Analysts quoted by Reuters offered a mixed reading. Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Seoul’s Dongguk University, said the launch can be linked to the border tensions as part of a broader series of shows of force, although it is difficult to say the border situation directly prompted it, and that it also appeared intended to demonstrate North Korea’s increasingly advanced ballistic missile capabilities to the US, Japan and the broader international community. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, said that rather than a firm decision to begin propaganda broadcasts, North Korea seems to be saying it will have everything ready and will watch how South Korea responds.
What happens next
South Korea says it is maintaining surveillance and readiness for additional launches, and Seoul was still awaiting a response to its two proposals for military talks. Japan is continuing to collect and analyse information on any impact on vessels, and South Korea’s presidential office has urged Pyongyang to stop its launches. Whether North Korea activates its border loudspeakers by the end of October, as Kim Yo-jong suggested, is now the next date to watch.
Timeline
- 21 September 2026: Two mine explosions in the DMZ wound three South Korean soldiers.
- Early October 2026: A joint Seoul-UN investigation concludes North Korea planted the landmines more than a year ago; Seoul calls it an armistice violation.
- 12 October 2026: North Korea’s previous ballistic missile launch.
- Last week (before 29 October): South Korea proposes military talks and border-location confirmation; Pyongyang does not respond.
- 29 October 2026, around 12:30 p.m. local time (03:30 GMT, 08:30 PKT): Around 10 short-range ballistic missiles are launched from near Wonsan, flying about 250 km eastward.
- 29 October 2026, around 12:45 p.m. local time: Japan estimates a missile has fallen outside its exclusive economic zone.
- 29 October 2026, around 12:55 p.m. local time: Japan Coast Guard confirms no damage to ships had been confirmed.
- 29 October 2026: South Korea’s presidential National Security Office holds an emergency meeting and calls the launches a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
- End of October 2026: Deadline suggested by Kim Yo-jong for propaganda loudspeakers to be ready along the border.
Frequently asked questions
How many missiles did North Korea fire on 29 October?
South Korea’s military said around 10 short-range ballistic missiles were fired. Some early reports described the number as around a dozen; the later Seoul account put it at around 10.
Where were the missiles launched from, and where did they land?
They were launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast and flew about 250 kilometres eastward into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan said they did not appear to have landed within its exclusive economic zone.
Was anyone hurt or was any ship damaged?
No damage to ships had been confirmed as of 12:55 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to the Japan Coast Guard. No injuries have been reported in connection with the launch itself.
Why did North Korea launch the missiles now?
No reason has been confirmed by Pyongyang. The launch follows a sharp rise in border tension, including the September DMZ mine explosions that wounded three South Korean soldiers, Seoul’s unanswered offer of military talks, and North Korea’s plan to ready propaganda loudspeakers along the border.
Was this North Korea’s first missile launch this year?
No. It was the first ballistic missile launch since 12 October, and Pyongyang has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year, according to Seoul.
What did South Korea and Japan do in response?
South Korea stepped up surveillance and readiness, shared information with the United States and Japan, and held an emergency National Security Office meeting. Japan set up a crisis management centre at the prime minister’s office and warned ships to stay vigilant.
Related coverage
For other missile-related coverage on this site, see the report on Houthi missiles intercepted over the holy cities in Saudi Arabia — and for more stories like this one, visit the World section.