North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles After South's Hypersonic Test

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on 12 October 2026 from an area near Pyongyang. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launches at about 9:20 a.m. local time. At least one missile flew more than 900 kilometres. Japan’s coast guard and defence ministry reported at least two projectiles, with estimated ranges of roughly 220 and 910 kilometres. Both landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. No damage was reported.

South Korean officials described the launches as a protest against Seoul’s first public test of a hypersonic glide vehicle four days earlier and as a demonstration of progress under Pyongyang’s five-year defence plan. Joint Chiefs spokesperson Jang Do-young said the missiles appeared to be of various types. The National Security Office convened an emergency meeting and condemned the launches as violations of UN Security Council resolutions. Japan, the United States, and South Korea said they were analysing the flight paths in detail. South Korea raised its surveillance posture and shared information with allies.

The launches mark Pyongyang’s fourth missile activity in a month and its 16th of the year. On 3 October, North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area. State media later called it an intermediate-range strategic missile tested as part of training for a hypersonic weapon system under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un. South Korean assessments of that flight differed from Pyongyang’s claims. The most recent launches from the Pyongyang area before Monday had occurred in August.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the hypersonic test on Thursday. Hypersonic weapons travel at least Mach 5 and can manoeuvre on low, unpredictable trajectories, complicating interception. The public nature of the South Korean test was unusual. Tensions on the peninsula have also been elevated by a land-mine blast last month that wounded three South Korean soldiers. Pyongyang denied responsibility and warned of retaliation if Seoul took countermeasures.

Japan’s defence officials noted that North Korea has already conducted more launches this year than in all of 2025. The sequence of tests by both Koreas underscores the continued development of advanced missiles on both sides of the demilitarised zone. Diplomacy remains stalled. The Monday launches add to a pattern in which each side’s weapons demonstration is met by the other, without immediate escalation into direct conflict but with steady pressure on the status quo.