North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, South Korea says

Launch comes ahead of joint South Korean-US ​military drills expected this month Reuters August 06, 2026 1 min read North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear state. Photo: AFP/file North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on ​Thursday towards the sea off the peninsula's eastern coast, South Korea's ‌military said, the first such launch in more than 40 days after a series of weapons tests earlier this year. The launch comes ahead of joint South Korean-US ​military drills expected this month. Washington and Seoul say the exercises ​strengthen their defence capabilities and deterrence against North Korean nuclear ⁠and missile threats. Pyongyang regularly denounces them as preparations for an ​invasion. Also Read: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong warns of new military options over Japan's strike capabilities The South Korean military said it detected the missile launched from North ​Korea's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 5pm (0800 GMT). South Korea's presidential office said it held an emergency security meeting, and condemned the launch as a provocative act ​that violates United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. The missile test could be ​related to recent criticism by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean ‌leader ⁠Kim Jong Un, of Japan's firing of Tomahawk missiles, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. Read More: North Korea condemns NATO summit, says denuclearisation should start with US allies North Korea has launched a series of tests this year, including short-range ballistic missiles, ​artillery rockets and ​other tactical weapons. The ⁠most recent confirmed weapons test, in late June, involved an upgraded 240-mm multiple-launch rocket system, tactical ballistic ​missiles and a 155-mm self-propelled howitzer, North Korean state ​media KCNA ⁠said. The South Korean military said that it had heightened its alert for further firings and was sharing information with the United States and ⁠Japan. Japan's ​government also said on Thursday that Pyongyang had ​launched what could be a ballistic missile.