North Korea launches short-range ballistic missile into sea

North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, August 6, 2026, according to South Korea's military. The launch, detected from the Wonsan area around 5 p.m. local time, marks the latest in a series of weapons tests conducted by the isolated state this year.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch and stated the military has heightened its surveillance posture, closely sharing information with the United States and Japan. Japan's Defense Ministry also reported the launch of what it assessed to be a possible ballistic missile, noting that it did not land inside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The test follows a statement from Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Wednesday. In remarks carried by state media, she criticized Japan's military ambitions and its efforts to acquire long-range strike capabilities, calling Japan a "war criminal state." She said North Korea would not remain a passive onlooker to what she described as Japan's accelerating transformation into a military power. Analysts suggest the missile launch could be a direct response to this criticism and may...