SEOUL (Realist English). North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday — its first such tests in five months — just days before U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders are scheduled to gather in South Korea.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired from an area south of Pyongyang and flew about 350 kilometers (220 miles) toward the northeast. The military said the missiles did not land in the sea and provided no further flight details. It added that South Korean forces “remain fully prepared to respond to any provocation” in coordination with the United States.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo is maintaining close communication with Washington and Seoul, including sharing real-time missile warning data. Pyongyang has not yet commented on the launches.
President Trump is set to begin his first Asia tour of his second term later this week, visiting Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea for regional summits. He was expected to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Gyeongju, though Seoul officials now say he may skip the main APEC conference on Oct. 30–Nov. 1.
Experts believe Kim Jong Un may be using the latest missile launches to draw attention ahead of the APEC summit and reaffirm North Korea’s bid for recognition as a nuclear weapons state.
The tests are North Korea’s first since May 8, when it simulated nuclear counterstrikes against U.S. and South Korean forces. They also mark the first ballistic launches since Lee Jae Myung took office in June, pledging to seek renewed peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim has intensified weapons development since his denuclearization talks with Trump collapsed in 2019. However, he recently hinted at a possible return to dialogue if Washington abandons its demand for North Korea’s full disarmament.
Earlier this month, Kim showcased the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile during a military parade attended by Chinese and Russian delegations. State media described it as the country’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system,” with analysts suggesting it could carry multiple warheads designed to penetrate U.S. missile defenses.
