North Korea fires advanced missiles into Sea of Japan

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed through Yonhap news agency.

The projectiles were fired from Wonsan, a coastal city on North Korea’s southeastern shore, and travelled approximately 190 miles eastward before landing in international waters.

“This clear provocation seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” South Korea’s military leadership declared in their official statement condemning the launches.

Military intelligence suggests these projectiles are part of Pyongyang’s new generation of sophisticated short-range ballistic missile systems, representing a significant technological leap from their Soviet-era arsenal.

Defence analysts identify these as likely belonging to North Korea’s KN-series missiles, which feature quasi-ballistic flight patterns specifically engineered to evade interception by contemporary missile defence systems.

These newer weapons systems employ advanced manoeuvrability tactics, flying at unusually low altitudes before making abrupt trajectory changes. Such innovations considerably reduce the effectiveness of regional defensive countermeasures whilst simultaneously improving strike precision.

Thursday’s demonstration constitutes North Korea’s fifth missile test this year, following a similar launch on 22 April. The timing appears deliberate, coming days before President Trump’s 20 January inauguration and shortly after the conclusion of joint US-South Korean “Freedom Shield” military exercises, which North Korea consistently characterises as invasion rehearsals.

The ongoing missile development programme reflects North Korea’s broader strategic shift toward asymmetric warfare capabilities to compensate for its ageing conventional forces.

Experts note this approach allows Pyongyang to maintain military relevance whilst potentially strengthening its negotiating position in any future diplomatic engagements.

Japanese and American defence officials continue monitoring the situation intently, with particular concern regarding the dual-capable nature of these missile systems, which could potentially deliver either conventional or nuclear warheads.

This technological advancement represents a growing security challenge for the entire region as missile defence systems face increasingly sophisticated threats designed specifically to overcome their protective capabilities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​