The South Korean military said that North Korea launched many ballistic missiles from the capital Pyongyang to the sea off the east coast of the country at about 7:50 am local time on January 4. This is North Korea's first ballistic missile launch in 2 months.
According to information from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country's military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance against the possibility of Pyongyang continuing launches. The agency also said it is closely sharing information with the US and Japan.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense believes that the missiles are believed to have fallen into the sea. North Korea's most recent ballistic missile test took place in November 2025.
The missile launch took place in the context of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung starting a state visit to China, where Seoul said the peace issue on the Korean peninsula would be discussed. Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping will receive Mr. Lee Jae Myung during this visit.
Lee Jae Myung's security advisor, Mr. Wi Sung-lac, said that Seoul expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula, but did not specify the content of the agenda.
Experts believe that one content of the working program between the two leaders is to persuade China to support promoting dialogue with North Korea, in the context that Pyongyang has rejected approaches from Mr. Lee Jae Myung.
North Korean state media previously reported that leader Kim Jong-un had called for more than doubling the production capacity of tactical guided weapons during a visit to a defense factory. In recent weeks, Kim Jong-un has continuously inspected weapons facilities, visited nuclear-powered submarines and monitored missile tests.
These activities are being carried out ahead of the 9th National Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, an event expected to set out important policy goals for the coming time.
