North Korea Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missiles After Trump Signals Meeting with Kim
Pyongyang launched approximately ten missiles into the sea on 20 August 2026, one day after President Trump indicated he planned to meet Kim Jong Un later in the year.
Seoul1 min read
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North Korea fired around ten short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on 20 August 2026, according to South Korea's military.
The launches occurred one day after President Donald Trump said he intended to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later in the year. Trump had also scaled back certain joint military drills with South Korea in an apparent gesture toward renewed diplomacy.
Japan confirmed the missiles were fired toward the sea. The tests demonstrate that Pyongyang continues to maintain and exercise its missile capabilities even while diplomatic signals circulate.
South Korean officials have expressed concern that any bilateral US-North Korea engagement could sideline Seoul's interests. Past summits under the first Trump administration produced high-profile meetings but no lasting denuclearisation agreement.
The latest firings fit a pattern in which North Korea uses missile tests to raise the price of engagement or to signal independence from external pressure. No damage or casualties were reported from the 20 August launches.
