North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, one flying over 900 km, in response to South's hypersonic test

Why it matters

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles of different types toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, Oct 12, at around 9:20 a.m. local time (0020 GMT) from near Pyongyang, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, with one type flying more than 900 km (559 miles). It is Pyongyang's fourth launch this month. Japan's coast guard earlier said it had detected projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles that had already fallen.

The launch follows South Korea's first publicly showcased test-firing of a hypersonic missile last week, overseen by President Lee Jae Myung. South Korea's military called the North's launch "a show of force in response to the successful test launch of our hypersonic missile." Tensions have been rising for weeks after a DMZ landmine blast injured three South Korean soldiers and a joint Seoul-UN investigation concluded North Korea planted the mines — a claim Pyongyang angrily denied.

South Korea's National Security Office convened an emergency meeting, condemning the launches as violations of UN Security Council resolutions and urging an immediate stop. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 aimed at halting its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

Sources: Reuters (Heejin Kim, Joyce Lee), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, October 12, 2026.