North Korea Fires Several Ballistic Missiles as Tensions With Seoul Mount

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, extending a run of weapons tests and a standoff over a landmine blast on the inter-Korean border. Seoul and Washington are now analyzing the exact specifications of the weapons, according to Euronews.

The launch came as Pyongyang and Seoul trade accusations over the blast, which wounded three South Korean soldiers, and as each side showcases new missile technology. Neither government has shown signs of backing down.

What happened on Monday

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles at around 09:20 local time, launched from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea, the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. Al Jazeera reported that one missile flew more than 900km (559 miles). The military did not say how many missiles were fired. ABC News reported that the Joint Chiefs initially did not say whether the weapon was ballistic or how far it flew, and described it as at least one projectile.

Japan also tracked the launch. According to Al Jazeera, Japan's coast guard said North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles that appeared to have already fallen. ABC News reported that the office of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the weapon as a suspected ballistic missile.

South Korea's National Security Office held an emergency meeting to review military readiness, Euronews reported. The Joint Chiefs said surveillance had been stepped up against possible additional launches.

Seoul's position

South Korea's presidential office said the repeated launches violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate stop, according to Al Jazeera. Joint Chiefs spokesperson Jang Do-young said the launch appeared to be a show of force in response to South Korea's recent hypersonic missile test.

That test was South Korea's first flight of a domestically developed hypersonic weapon, which ABC News said is designed to fly at least five times the speed of sound and evade missile defenses. Reports differ on the day: ABC News said Friday, while Al Jazeera said Thursday. President Lee Jae Myung called it an important step in strengthening conventional defense, ABC News reported.

Seoul also demanded an apology over the landmine blast. A joint investigation by South Korea and the U.S.-led United Nations Command concluded that North Korea planted two landmines about a year ago, according to Al Jazeera.

Pyongyang's position

North Korea denies responsibility for the mines and has accused South Korea of provocation, Al Jazeera reported. Leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has criticized the apology demands harshly and rejected a South Korean offer of medical equipment, according to Euronews. She said Seoul must show “utmost respect” if it wants better relations.

On Oct. 3, North Korea tested what it described as a hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to evade defenses in South Korea and Japan. Kim Yo-jong said it used unspecified artificial intelligence technology and could change its flight path at low altitude, Euronews reported.

Al Jazeera reported that Pyongyang continues to demand that Washington drop its "hostile" policy and its demand for North Korea's denuclearization as conditions for talks. Kim has rejected U.S. and South Korean offers to resume diplomacy, according to ABC News.

Why it matters for the region

The two Koreas remain technically at war, because the 1953 Korean War ended with a truce rather than a peace treaty, Euronews noted. The border zone where the mines exploded is among the most heavily fortified in the world, and earlier landmine incidents have also raised tensions.

Diplomacy is stalled. Talks between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump broke off in 2019, and Lee pledged to reopen dialogue with the North in his first speech after taking office in 2025, according to Al Jazeera. Before the blast, Seoul said it was making "preliminary coordination efforts" to help bring Pyongyang and Washington to the table. Euronews reported that Trump's recent overtures to North Korea have raised concerns in Seoul that it could be sidelined from any nuclear talks.

For people in South Korea and Japan, the immediate effect is heightened military vigilance. Both governments tracked Monday's launch, and the tests of weapons built to evade missile defenses are a central concern for both.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, Al Jazeera, Euronews