North Korea launched at least one short-range ballistic missile into its eastern waters on Friday, according to South Korea’s military, days after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Seoul for annual security talks.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missile flew about 700 kilometers (435 miles) toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the launch, saying the projectile likely landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Friday’s launch marks Pyongyang’s second provocation in a week, following its reported firing of 10 artillery rounds into western waters on Monday. Analysts say the tests underscore North Korea’s opposition to deepening U.S.–South Korean defense cooperation.
The missile test also came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump approved Seoul’s long-sought plan to develop a nuclear-powered submarine, a move expected to significantly enhance South Korea’s naval reach and deterrence capabilities.
A South Korean presidential official told reporters that Seoul intends to build the submarine domestically but hopes to receive enriched uranium from the United States to use as fuel.
Defense experts say such vessels would make South Korea only the seventh nation to operate nuclear-powered submarines, joining the U.S., Russia, China, France, the U.K., and India.
Since taking office earlier this year, both Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have expressed interest in restarting dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But Pyongyang has continued to reject overtures from Washington and Seoul.
Kim said in September that he was open to talks only if the United States dropped its demand for North Korea to abandon its nuclear arsenal. He has repeatedly called his nation’s nuclear status “irreversible,” signaling no intent to return to the denuclearization talks that collapsed in 2019.
Last month, Kim presided over a massive military parade in Pyongyang attended by officials from Russia and China, showcasing some of North Korea’s most advanced weaponry, including a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
Meanwhile, North Korean and Russian military officials held talks in Pyongyang this week to expand cooperation between the two countries, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
According to the agency, Pak Yong Il, vice director of the Korean People’s Army’s General Political Bureau, met with a Russian delegation led by Vice Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin on Wednesday. The two sides discussed strengthening defense ties as part of the “deepened bilateral relations” agreed upon by Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.
North Korea has conducted more than a dozen missile launches in 2025, as it continues to modernize its nuclear and missile programs despite international sanctions.
Africa Digital News, New York
