South Korean authorities said North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast: the first flew 450 kilometers, the second more than 600. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Time and location of the launches

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the first missile was launched at around 15:00 local time from the area of the North Korean city of Wonsan and flew about 450 kilometers toward the Sea of Japan.

The second launch was recorded at approximately 17:50, with the missile covering a distance of more than 600 kilometers. "South Korean and US authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine its exact technical characteristics," the South Korean military said in a statement.

Japan expressed a "resolute protest" to North Korea over the launches, condemning them as a threat to regional peace and security, local state media reported, citing the country's government statement.

Pyongyang's missile activity

Pyongyang's missile activity is demonstrative in nature and is linked to recent geopolitical events in the region.

Protest against military drills

The launches were a response to joint naval maneuvers by the United States, South Korea and Japan (including the large-scale Freedom Edge 26 exercises), which concluded in the first half of September in the Guam area and the western Pacific Ocean.

The influential sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Yo Jong, sharply criticized the allies' actions, calling the exercises a "rehearsal for war." She officially stressed that Pyongyang will continue its course toward further strengthening its nuclear deterrence.

Rejection of the IAEA resolution

The launches took place several days after the North Korean Foreign Ministry once again rejected an IAEA resolution and confirmed the immutability of its status as a nuclear state.

International reaction

Seoul and Tokyo expressed resolute protest over North Korea's actions, calling them a direct threat to regional security and a gross violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The current launches, which came eight days after the previous one, demonstrate Pyongyang's readiness to further escalate tensions in the region.