NK fires multiple ballistic missiles, first launch in months

According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, several projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles were fired around 8:10 a.m. (2310 GMT Tuesday) from an area south of Pyongyang. The missiles flew approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles) before falling into the sea.

This is the first missile launch since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office in June.

Timing and political significance

Analysts believe the launch serves as a message to Washington and Seoul ahead of Trump’s arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum on October 29.

“Kim Jong Un is asserting his regime’s presence during an event hosted by Seoul, as he’s done before,” said Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “The launch is clearly a response to Trump’s recent moves.”

Renewed signals on U.S.–North Korea dialogue

Trump has expressed interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, potentially later this year, reviving memories of their previous summits during Trump’s first term.

North Korean state media recently hinted that Kim remains open to future talks, though only if the United States drops its “delusional” demand for complete denuclearization.

“If the United States truly seeks peaceful coexistence and abandons its obsession with denuclearization, there’s no reason we cannot meet,” Kim was quoted as saying in September.

Advancing missile capabilities

Earlier this month, Pyongyang unveiled its “most powerful” intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-20, during a military parade attended by senior officials from Russia and China. North Korea claimed that the new missile’s strike range “knows no bounds.”

In September, Kim oversaw the ninth and final test of a solid-fuel engine intended for long-range nuclear missiles — signaling that a full ICBM test may occur in the near future.

Persistent Sanctions and Global Tensions

North Korea remains under extensive UN sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes but continues to expand its arsenal and strengthen ties with China and Russia.

Despite ongoing international pressure, Pyongyang insists it will not abandon its nuclear weapons, viewing them as essential to its survival and leverage in global diplomacy.