North Korea fires ballistic missile: South Korea military
North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan, prompting South Korea's military to report the launch. This action follows Pyongyang's criticism of Japan's military buildup and its deepening economic and military ties with Russia.
Why it matters
This event highlights escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, North Korea's continued defiance of international sanctions, and the complex geopolitical dynamics involving the US, South Korea, Japan, and Russia.
North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan on Thursday (August 6, 2026), Seoul's military said, after Pyongyang lambasted Tokyo for beefing up its military stance in the Pacific.
North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state since leader Kim Jong Un's 2019 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed over the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief.
Tokyo's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said earlier this week that Japan's military needs to be boosted with a "sense of urgency and crisis", as a new government assessment warned of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.
In a statement carried by North Korean state media on Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong — the sister of leader Kim Jong Un — said Pyongyang's "leadership will set up additional military options which are obviously due to Japan's transformation".
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