NRT briefing
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, adding to streak of weapons tests
Based on reporting by New York Post.
The Brief
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Monday, South Korea's military said, adding to a recent streak of weapons demonstrations. Jang Do-young, spokesperson of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said missiles of various types were launched from an area around Pyongyang, with one flying more than 559 miles before falling into the sea.
Japan's Defense Ministry detected at least two missiles, which landed outside the country's exclusive economic zone, and no damage was reported. The launch followed South Korea's flight test of its own domestically developed hypersonic weapon on Friday, which President Lee Jae Myung described as critical for strengthening conventional defenses.
Jang said the North Korean launches likely aimed to advance missile technologies and possibly respond to Seoul's hypersonic test. The South's presidential national security office called for an immediate cessation of the launches, citing violations of UN Security Council resolutions.
The test adds to a series of North Korean weapons demonstrations, including an Oct. 3 hypersonic intermediate-range missile test, as leader Kim Jong Un continues to reject US and South Korean offers to resume diplomacy. Tensions have also been heightened by land mine explosions last month that injured three South Korean soldiers, which Seoul and the UN Command attributed to North Korea, a claim Pyongyang has denied.
Kim has described South Korea as a permanent enemy and rebuffed President Donald Trump's calls to revive diplomacy, which broke down in 2019.
NRT commentary
How We See It
The latest missile launches underscore a troubling reality: North Korea's weapons program continues to advance while diplomatic efforts remain frozen. Kim Jong Un's willingness to test new systems, including hypersonic missiles designed to evade defenses, shows that provocations are not random acts but calculated moves to strengthen his negotiating position and domestic standing. The South Korean response, including its own hypersonic test, reflects a necessary but risky dynamic of escalation on the peninsula. While the US and South Korea have offered talks, Pyongyang's precondition of abandoning 'hostile' policy and dropping denuclearization demands makes meaningful negotiation nearly impossible. The land mine incident adds another layer of friction, with North Korea denying responsibility and ridiculing demands for an apology. This cycle of testing and counter-testing carries real risks of miscalculation, especially with troops stationed near the border. A conservative perspective would emphasize that peace is best preserved through strength and deterrence, not through concessions that reward bad behavior. The US and its allies must maintain pressure while keeping communication channels open, even as the path to denuclearization appears distant.
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