Archive · 12 Aug 2026
North Korea Fires Suspected Ballistic Missile Toward Sea
North Korea is a country that sometimes tests weapons like missiles.
On Wednesday morning, it fired a missile from an area called Wonsan.
The missile flew toward the sea and landed in the water.
South Korea and Japan saw the launch and told the world about it.
Japan said the missile probably landed outside its special ocean zone.
This was the second time in less than a week that North Korea fired a weapon.
Soon, South Korea and the United States will practice big war games together starting August 17.
North Korea does not like these war games and has called them a provocation.
North Korea has not said anything about this launch yet, but it usually shares details a day later.
Ukraine's president also said Russia used a North Korean missile in an attack that killed workers at a steel plant.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area at around 6 a.m. Wednesday toward the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Japan's Defense Ministry reported a suspected ballistic missile that landed in the waters, marking the second North Korean weapons launch in less than a week.
The missile appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to NHK.
The launch came ahead of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, scheduled for August 17-27, which North Korea has previously denounced as a provocation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile in a Tuesday attack that killed seven workers at a steel plant in Zaporizhzhia.
- Who
- North Korea fired the missile; South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japan's Defense Ministry detected and reported it, with information shared among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.
- What
- A ballistic missile launch toward the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, the second North Korean weapons launch in less than a week.
- When
- Wednesday, around 6 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday), ahead of U.S.-South Korea drills scheduled for August 17-27.
- Where
- Launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea; the missile landed in waters off the east coast, apparently outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
- Why
- The launch came as the U.S. and South Korea prepared for the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which North Korea has previously denounced as a provocation; North Korea also condemned Japan's latest defence white paper.
North Korea's View
U.S.-South Korea View
Annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills
North Korea's View
North Korea has denounced the annual drills as a provocation and views them as a rehearsal to invade its territory, historically responding with weapons tests and harsh rhetoric.
U.S.-South Korea View
South Korea and the United States say the drills, scheduled for August 17-27, are meant to beef up readiness against North Korean threats and counter its evolving nuclear and weapons capabilities.
- Suspected weapon
- Ballistic missile
- Launch site
- Wonsan area, North Korea
- Launch time
- Around 6 a.m. Wednesday (2100 GMT Tuesday)
- Missile landing
- In the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast; appeared to land outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (per NHK)
- Recent activity
- Second weapons launch in less than a week
- Upcoming drills
- Ulchi Freedom Shield, annual U.S.-South Korea exercise, August 17-27
- Previous test
- Short-range ballistic missile detected last week by South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the first ballistic test since late June
- Related
- Zelenskiy said Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile in a Tuesday attack on a Zaporizhzhia steel plant that killed seven workers; North Korea has not confirmed this launch
