North Korea fires new ballistic missile

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea, the South Korean news agency Yonhap announced on Wednesday June 26, citing the South Korean army. Japan confirmed a shot, with the defense ministry cited by the coast guard saying a “possible ballistic missile was fired from North Korea”.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had detected the launch, but did not give details, saying only that an analysis was underway. The missile(s) appear to have already been damaged at sea, added a coast guard press release.

This new missile launch comes in a context of increased cross-border tensions, with North Korea having recently increased the number of shipments of balloons loaded with waste and garbage into South Korean territory.

Previous shot on May 30

The previous North Korean missile launch was on May 30, when Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing a salvo of approximately ten ballistic missiles at short range. The next day, North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong-un attending tests of a multiple launch rocket system.

Analysts suggest North Korea may be ramping up missile production to supply Russia as part of the war in Ukraine, a report released last month by the Pentagon confirmed.