Archive · 12 Aug 2026
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Days Before US-South Korea Drills
North Korea shot a missile into the sea on Wednesday morning.
It was the second missile test in less than one week.
The missile was launched from a place in North Korea called Wonsan.
It flew more than 700 kilometers across the water.
South Korea and Japan saw the launch and watched the missile from far away.
The missile fell into the ocean and did not reach Japan.
This happened just before the United States and South Korea planned a big military practice.
The practice is called Ulchi Freedom Shield and starts on Monday.
North Korea says the practice is practice for an attack on their country.
The United States and South Korea say it is only for defense.
North Korea launched a ballistic missile early Wednesday from the Wonsan area that flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) toward the East Sea — its second weapons test in less than a week.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launch around 6 a.m., with Seoul exchanging information with Washington and Tokyo; Japan said the missile did not reach its exclusive economic zone.
The test came days before the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which begin Monday, Aug. 17 with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers and US forces from the roughly 28,500 personnel stationed in South Korea.
South Korea's national security office held an emergency meeting calling the launches "provocative acts"; Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called it a threat and lodged a strong protest via Beijing.
Pyongyang views US-South Korea drills as an invasion rehearsal and has ramped up weapons tests since 2019 diplomacy with President Donald Trump collapsed, while Washington and Seoul say the training is defensive.
- Who
- North Korea, which launched the missile; it was detected by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japan's Defense Ministry.
- What
- A ballistic missile fired from the Wonsan area that flew more than 700 kilometers toward the East Sea — the North's second weapons test in less than a week.
- When
- Wednesday, Aug. 12, around 6 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday).
- Where
- From Wonsan on North Korea's eastern coast toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan); it did not reach Japan's exclusive economic zone.
- Why
- North Korea views the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield drills as an invasion rehearsal and has a history of answering such exercises with missile tests; the launch also comes amid North Korea's support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, with experts saying Pyongyang has gained financial and military benefits from Moscow.
US-South Korea-Japan Perspective
North Korea Perspective
Purpose of Ulchi Freedom Shield drills
US-South Korea-Japan Perspective
The training is defensive in nature and is designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats; this year's exercises also account for battlefield experience North Korean troops gained in Ukraine.
North Korea Perspective
The drills are a rehearsal for an invasion of North Korea, prompting Pyongyang to respond with "proactive and overwhelming" countermeasures and to bolster its nuclear arsenal.
North Korea's missile launches
US-South Korea-Japan Perspective
South Korea calls the launches "provocative acts" that defy UN Security Council resolutions; Japan's Defence Minister calls them a "threat to peace and security in our region."
North Korea Perspective
North Korea calls such drills a practice to attack the country and says its weapons activity is a response to provocations, including what it calls Japan's remilitarisation.
Japan's military build-up
US-South Korea-Japan Perspective
Japan needs to strengthen its military with a "sense of urgency and crisis"; it has increased defence spending, expanded military partnerships and deployed missile launchers to its outer islands.
North Korea Perspective
North Korea condemns what it calls Japan's remilitarisation and "transformation into a war state."
- Launcher
- North Korea
- Weapon
- Ballistic missile
- Launch site
- Wonsan, on North Korea's eastern coast
- Flight distance
- More than 700 kilometers (435 miles)
- Detection time
- Around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday (2100 GMT Tuesday)
- Military exercise
- Ulchi Freedom Shield — 11 days, starting Monday, Aug. 17
- Exercise participants
- About 18,000 South Korean soldiers and US personnel from the 28,500-strong contingent
- Previous test
- Short-range ballistic missile on Aug. 6 — first since late June
Sources
North Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea, its second test in a week ahead of South Korea-US military drills
North Korea Tests Ballistic Missile Days Before Major US-South Korea Military Exercise Begins
North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Japan ahead of US-South Korea drills