North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Tuesday afternoon, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported, marking a fresh provocation ahead of a major ruling party congress. The missiles were detected at approximately 3:50 p.m. local time, launched from an area north of the capital Pyongyang.
South Korean military officials said the projectiles flew approximately 350 kilometers before splashing down in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed it detected two ballistic missiles, both of which landed outside Tokyo's exclusive economic zone. The launch marked North Korea's second missile test of 2026, following a January 4 firing of what Pyongyang described as hypersonic weapons.
The test took place ahead of the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, which is widely expected to convene in early February. Analysts said the congress could be used to enshrine leader Kim Jong Un's declaration of a hostile two-state system on the Korean Peninsula into the party constitution, a move that would formally abandon the longstanding goal of reunification. North Korea recently accused South Korea of flying surveillance drones across the border and threatened retaliation.
Seoul's Office of National Security convened an emergency meeting following the launch. A presidency statement declared the firing a provocative act in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. South Korea's military said it had strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches while sharing intelligence with the United States and Japan.
Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the launches, stating that North Korea's nuclear and missile development threatens the peace and stability of Japan and the broader international community. Koizumi described the tests as absolutely intolerable. Japan's Foreign Ministry also held a trilateral telephone meeting with its U.S. and South Korean counterparts to coordinate a response.
The launch coincided with a visit to South Korea by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, wartime operational control transfer, and Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines. Colby departed for Japan on Tuesday afternoon.
North Korea has been prohibited from launching or testing ballistic missiles under United Nations resolutions. Despite these restrictions, Pyongyang has significantly escalated its weapons testing since diplomatic talks with Washington and Seoul stalled in 2019. Experts believe Kim Jong Un views a larger weapons arsenal as leverage to extract concessions from the United States in any future negotiations.
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