Archive · 21 Sep 2026
North Korea Keeps Silent After Two Missile Launches
North Korea fired two short-range missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday.
South Korea said the missiles were launched from near Wonsan.
One flew about 450 kilometers, and the other traveled more than 600 kilometers.
North Korea’s government media did not talk about the launches by Monday morning.
In the past, North Korea often reported missile tests the next day.
Recently, it has sometimes stopped reporting them.
The launches happened after Kim Yo-jong criticized military exercises involving the United States and its partners.
South Korean officials said the tests may have been meant to send a message that North Korea will continue building its military.
North Korea’s state media did not report Sunday’s launch of two short-range ballistic missiles by early Monday.
The missiles were fired from the Wonsan area about three hours apart, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The first missile traveled about 450 kilometers, while the second flew more than 600 kilometers.
North Korea has usually reported missile tests the following day, but that pattern has become inconsistent.
The launches followed criticism of Pacific Vanguard drills and came before major diplomatic and international events.
- Who
- North Korea launched the missiles; South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the launches.
- What
- Two short-range ballistic missiles were fired toward the East Sea, while North Korean state media remained silent about them.
- When
- Sunday, with the first launch at about 3:00 p.m. and the second at approximately 5:50 p.m.; the silence continued into early Monday.
- Where
- The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea.
- Why
- The launches appeared to signal to the Trump administration that North Korea would not curb its military buildup, according to the report.
- Missiles launched
- Two short-range ballistic missiles
- Launch location
- Wonsan area
- Flight distances
- Approximately 450 kilometers and more than 600 kilometers
- Interval
- About three hours
- North Korean reporting
- State media had not reported the launches by early Monday
- Related military drills
- Pacific Vanguard maritime exercises
- Upcoming events
- UN General Assembly debate and a Donald Trump–Xi Jinping summit