North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, according to South Korea’s military. The missile flew about 450 kilometers toward waters off North Korea’s eastern coast. Japan's Defense Ministry also detected the missile and said it did not land in Japanese territorial waters.
Seoul convened an emergency session of its national security council in response to the missile firing, according to ABC News. South Korea's presidential office called on North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which are prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Hours after the first launch, South Korea said North Korea fired another projectile from its eastern coast. Officials did not immediately identify the second projectile or provide details about its flight.
The missile launch came shortly after North Korea rejected a resolution from the UN nuclear watchdog regarding its nuclear program, according to a report from Euronews. North Korea said its status as a nuclear power was irreversible and did not require international recognition.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been focused on expanding his country’s nuclear capabilities since diplomatic talks with former US President Donald Trump stalled in 2019. Trump had previously told reporters that North Korea possessed 57 powerful nuclear weapons and expressed his continued relationship with Kim Jong-un. He added that their personal rapport was a positive development, even though he criticized the buildup of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Trump had also indicated he intended to meet with Kim Jong-un again later in the year, although no further details were given at that time. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged Trump to continue dialogue with North Korea and said Seoul was trying to help arrange talks between the two sides. He emphasized that while it was uncertain whether such a meeting would happen, efforts should be made to make it possible.
Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term. Their diplomacy included summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019. The talks did not produce an agreement that ended North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
The recent missile launch follows the conclusion of a joint military exercise called Freedom Edge 26 between the US, South Korea, and Japan. This exercise was part of broader efforts to strengthen readiness in the Indo-Pacific region under the US Pacific Command. The five-day exercise ended September 11 and included maritime, air, missile defense, cyber and medical training.
North Korea has repeatedly criticized military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan. Pyongyang describes many of the exercises as preparations for conflict. The United States and its allies say the exercises are defensive and are intended to improve military readiness.
Earlier in September, North Korea conducted a live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones. That drill followed another round of Freedom Edge exercises and was described by North Korea as a demonstration of its military firepower.
In a statement shared by North Korea’s state news agency, Kim Yo Jong said that the country's resolve to defend its sovereignty would be shown through stronger nuclear deterrence. She also criticized recent US-led military exercises and said North Korea would continue strengthening its nuclear forces.