North Korea Fires Around a Dozen Missiles Into Sea of Japan as Border Row Deepens

Photo: Kim Hong-Ji, Reuters via Al Jazeera, file photo (27 October, not the missile launch)

North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday, South Korea's military said, in a sharp reply to Seoul's offer of talks over a border landmine blast that wounded three South Korean soldiers.

The missiles were launched at about 12:30pm Seoul time from the Wonsan area on North Korea's east coast and flew about 250 kilometres, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan's Defence Ministry confirmed a launch that appeared to be a ballistic missile and said it fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Main News Report: North Korea Fires Missiles as Border Row Deepens

Al Jazeera reported that South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles fired from Wonsan towards the East Sea, the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. Seoul said its military had stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible further launches.

Japan's Coast Guard said an object that appeared to be a ballistic missile launched from North Korea seemed to have already fallen, and it urged ships in the area to stay alert. South Korea and the United States are studying the missiles' exact details together, Seoul said.

Seoul's National Security Office said the launches broke United Nations Security Council resolutions and called them serious acts that do nothing to help manage the situation. One expert told the AFP news agency the volley should be seen as a fairly high level show of force.

This is North Korea's first missile launch since 12 October, when it fired several short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area that flew more than 900 kilometres. It has also recently tested a new precision guided torpedo system and an intermediate range hypersonic missile, both of which it said use AI technology.

Background Context: The Landmine Blast That Started the Row

The row goes back to 21 September, when a landmine exploded in the Demilitarized Zone, the heavily fortified border strip between the two Koreas, and wounded three South Korean soldiers. The blast happened while South Korean troops were checking whether the North had crossed the Military Demarcation Line as it builds fences and lays mines along the border.

A joint South Korea and United Nations investigation earlier this month concluded that North Korea had planted the landmines more than a year ago. Seoul called that a clear breach of the Armistice Agreement, the deal that ended fighting in the Korean War, and demanded an apology.

Pyongyang denied it. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called South Korea's demand for an apology despicable and rejected an offer of medical equipment from Seoul. This week North Korea's ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, wrote to the Security Council accusing Seoul of fabricating the explosion and warning that breaches of its sovereignty could trigger self defence.

Last Friday, Seoul invited Pyongyang to military talks to discuss restoring communication channels and settling the border dispute. The North has not answered. It has also been showing force on the ground: a North Korean self propelled howitzer was spotted near the western border earlier this week, which Seoul's military described as mainly for show.

Reactions and Statements: Seoul, Tokyo and Washington Watch Closely

South Korea's military said it is sharing missile information closely with the United States and Japan and staying fully ready. Japan confirmed the launch through its Defence Ministry and its Coast Guard, and warned shipping to keep clear of any fallen objects.

The timing raised eyebrows in Seoul. South Korea's defence minister, Kang Shin-cheol, had planned to raise the landmine issue at a meeting of Asian defence ministers in the Philippines on the same day, seeking support for peace and stability on the peninsula.

There is also a wider worry in Seoul. US President Donald Trump has recently reached out to Pyongyang, and South Korean officials fear their ally could be sidelined if Washington opens nuclear talks with the North on its own. Pyongyang fired missiles a day after Trump suggested he might meet Kim Jong Un this year.

For readers following missile and drone standoffs elsewhere, see our report on 613 drones launched towards Moscow overnight, our report on Iran shooting down a US MQ-1 drone near Hormuz, and our report on Iran rejecting Qatar's peace deal ideas.

Why This News Matters: A Dozen Missiles, One Message

The key figures in one place:

• About a dozen missiles: short-range ballistic missiles fired from Wonsan on Thursday.
• About 250 kilometres: how far they flew into the Sea of Japan.
• 3 soldiers wounded: in the 21 September landmine blast that started this row.
• First launch since 12 October: ending a short pause that followed Seoul's talks offer.

In plain words, a ballistic missile is a missile that flies high into the sky and comes back down on its target, and a short-range one is built for targets nearby, not across oceans. Firing a dozen at once is not a test of one weapon. It is a message, and the message is aimed at Seoul's offer of talks: Pyongyang is answering pressure with force, not dialogue.

For Pakistan's readers, the link is less direct but still real. Every flare-up on the Korean peninsula pulls American attention and military planning towards East Asia, and it tests whether the UN's rules on missile launches still mean anything when a country breaks them openly.

Future Developments: What to Watch Next

Watch for four things. First, whether North Korea fires again in the coming days, which would show this was the start of a longer show of force rather than a one day reply. Second, whether Seoul's defence minister raises the landmine case at the Asian defence ministers' meeting and what backing he gets. Third, whether Pyongyang answers Seoul's offer of military talks at all. Fourth, whether Washington says anything new about its own outreach to Kim, and whether Seoul feels sidelined by it.

Sources

Al Jazeera: North Korea fires missiles as row over landmine blast intensifies
TRT World: North Korea fires 'around a dozen' ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan, Seoul says
Malay Mail (AFP): North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile as Seoul seeks talks over border tensions

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