North Korea Fires More Than 10 Ballistic Missiles Towards Sea, Seoul Says

North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Thursday, October 29, according to South Korea’s military, raising fresh concerns about security on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area at around 12:30 p.m. local time. The military said it had strengthened surveillance and remained prepared for possible additional launches.

South Korean, US and Japanese authorities were sharing information about the launches and maintaining a readiness posture, according to South Korean military statements reported by regional media.

The latest activity adds to a series of North Korean weapons tests this year as tensions persist between Pyongyang and Seoul.

What happened during the latest launch?

South Korean authorities identified the weapons as short-range ballistic missiles. The missiles were launched towards the East Sea, also known internationally as the Sea of Japan.

Japan’s Defence Ministry and Coast Guard also reported a possible ballistic missile launch, with the projectile reported to have fallen into the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The exclusive economic zone is an area in which a coastal country has specific rights over natural resources, although it is not the same as territorial waters.

The available reports did not establish any damage or casualties resulting from Thursday’s launches. Details about the missiles’ individual flight paths and performance were not immediately available in the initial reporting.

The incident highlights the importance of monitoring missile activity across Northeast Asia, where the security interests of North Korea, South Korea, Japan and the United States overlap.

A pattern of weapons testing

Thursday’s launches followed North Korea’s previous ballistic missile launches on October 12, according to Reuters. During that earlier episode, some missiles reportedly travelled more than 900 kilometres.