North Korea launches another missile towards sea ahead of U.S.-South Korean military drills
North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea, marking its second test in less than a week ahead of joint US-South Korean military drills. The move is viewed as a protest against the exercises, which Pyongyang characterizes as invasion rehearsals.
Why it matters
Continued missile testing escalates regional tensions and challenges international efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.
North Korea on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) performed its second ballistic missile test in less than a week, its neighbors said, a likely protest of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said a ballistic missile fired from the North's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 6 a.m. flew more than 700 km. It said South Korea remains ready to repel any provocations by North Korea in cooperation with the United States.
South Korea's Presidential national security council issued a statement urging North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which it said are “acts of provocation” that defy UN Security Council resolutions.
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