North Korea launches ballistic missile; South Korean President's Office holds emergency meeting.
On November 7th, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off its eastern coast. The South Korean Office of National Security (ONS) held an emergency meeting, calling this a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launch was detected at 12:35 p.m. (local time) from the Taegwan County area in North Phyongan Province, North Korea. The missile traveled approximately 700 kilometers before falling into the sea.
The Japanese government confirmed the launch and said the missile likely landed outside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The JCS added that South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies had detected signs of prior preparation and were coordinating a detailed analysis of the missile's technical specifications.
This was North Korea's sixth ballistic missile launch in 2025 and the second since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's administration took office in June. The most recent launch took place on October 22, just before the APEC summit in Seoul.
Immediately after the launch, the South Korean President's Office of National Security (ONS) convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation and discuss countermeasures. In a statement, the ONS said it immediately reported the incident to President Lee Jae-myung. The office "strongly condemned" the launch, emphasizing that it was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and calling on Pyongyang to cease actions it considers a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The launch took place just one day after the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing the latest US sanctions, accusing Washington of "inciting hostility."
Specifically, the US has just imposed sanctions on eight individuals and two organizations in North Korea in connection with alleged money laundering from cybercrime. In addition, the US State Department is also seeking UN sanctions against seven ships accused of illegally exporting coal and iron ore to China.
North Korea's latest move also comes despite US President Donald Trump reiterating last week his desire to meet with leader Kim Jong-un to resume stalled denuclearization talks.
