North Korea launches ballistic missile, South Korean Presidential Office holds emergency meeting
On November 7, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. South Korea's Office of National Security (ONS) held an emergency meeting, calling it a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launch was detected at 12:35 pm (local time) from Taegwan County, North Phyongan Province of North Korea. The missile flew about 700 km before falling into the sea.
The Japanese government confirmed the launch and said the missile likely fell outside the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The JCS added that South Korean and US intelligence agencies have detected signs of pre-preparation and are coordinating a detailed analysis of the missile's technical specifications.
This is North Korea's sixth ballistic missile launch in 2025 and the second since the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office in June. The most recent launch took place on October 22, just ahead of the APEC summit in Seoul.
Immediately after the launch, the South Korean President's National Security Office (ONS) convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation and discuss countermeasures. In a statement, ONS said it immediately reported the incident to President Lee Jae-myung. The office "strongly condemned" the launch, stressing that it was a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and called on Pyongyang to stop actions it said threatened peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The launch came just a day after North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing the latest US sanctions, accusing Washington of "provoking hostility".
Specifically, the US has just imposed sanctions on eight individuals and two organizations in North Korea related to allegations of money laundering from cybercrime. In addition, the US State Department is also seeking UN sanctions on 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 leader Kim Jong-un to resume stalled denuclearization talks.
