North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile and another unidentified projectile toward the sea on Sunday, because apparently Northeast Asia had gone several minutes without an emergency notification.
South Korea’s military said the ballistic missile traveled about 450 kilometers. Japan also detected a launch and said the projectile did not land in its territorial waters.
The launches followed another round of warnings
Pyongyang recently vowed to strengthen its nuclear deterrent in response to what it calls U.S. hostility. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, criticized U.S.-South Korean military exercises and accused Washington of trying to extend its regional dominance.
The drills included the multilateral Pacific Vanguard exercise with American allies. North Korea routinely describes such training as preparation for invasion; the United States and its partners describe it as defensive.
Diplomacy remains possible but distant
South Korea increased surveillance and coordinated with the United States and Japan. Its presidential office condemned the launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The Associated Press reported the launches on September 20, 2026.
Kim’s government appears increasingly confident in its weapons programs and relationships with Russia and China. That may eventually bring it back to negotiations from a stronger position. For now, the peninsula remains stuck in the geopolitical version of two neighbors testing louder alarms while insisting the other one started it.
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Dana Side-Eye
Receipts, Rumors & Internet NonsenseDana reads the fine print, checks the timeline, and keeps one eyebrow permanently raised. She covers viral claims, internet pile-ons, and suspiciously convenient explanations.
“Screenshots are forever. So is the side-eye.”