North Korea launched an object believed to be a ballistic missile.
On the afternoon of September 20, the South Korean military announced that North Korea had launched an unidentified object into the sea off its eastern coast.
This move comes amid recent strong statements from Pyongyang defending its nuclear weapons program.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the launch through a brief statement, but did not provide details about the flight path or the type of weapon.
At the same time, the Japanese Prime Minister's Office stated on social media platform X that the unidentified object "is most likely a ballistic missile." The Japanese Ministry of Defense later updated the information, stating that the object had fallen into the sea.
The weapons test took place just eight days after Pyongyang launched a series of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea's latest move comes shortly after it rejected a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) demanding that Pyongyang halt its nuclear activities. A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry last week strongly criticized "hostile forces," emphasizing that the IAEA resolution has no impact on the country's position.
North Korea has now legalized its status as a nuclear weapons state, in which the country's leadership asserts that its national atomic arsenal is "permanent and irreversible."
In August 2026, US President Donald Trump stated that Pyongyang may possess 57 nuclear weapons of mass destruction, while estimates from South Korean officials suggest the actual number ranges from 80 to 120.
