North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in two separate rounds on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s military, escalating tensions despite recent diplomatic overtures from Seoul.
Gatekeepers News reports that the launches followed an earlier report by the South Korean military of an “unidentified projectile” fired from the Pyongyang area a day earlier.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has been seeking to improve relations with the North since taking office last year. On Monday, Seoul expressed regret over civilian drone incursions into the North in January, with Lee describing the action as “irresponsible” and acknowledging the involvement of government officials.
However, analysts say the latest launches — the North’s fourth and fifth known ballistic missile tests this year — signal a rejection of Seoul’s peace efforts.
The South Korean military said it detected multiple ballistic missiles launched Wednesday morning from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
According to the military, the first round of short-range ballistic missiles was fired at about 8:50 a.m., travelling approximately 240 kilometres. A second launch at around 2:20 p.m. saw another missile fly more than 700 kilometres.
The Japan Coast Guard also confirmed that an “object suspected to be a ballistic missile” had been launched, warning vessels in the area to remain vigilant.
In response, Seoul’s Office of National Security convened an emergency meeting and urged Pyongyang to halt further provocations.
While North Korea had earlier appeared to acknowledge Seoul’s conciliatory tone, mixed signals have emerged from its leadership. Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, described Seoul’s expression of regret over the drone incident as “wise behaviour.”
“Our government appreciated it as very fortunate and wise behaviour for its own sake,” she said.
However, a senior North Korean official, Jang Kum Chol, later reiterated a hardline stance, describing South Korea as “the enemy state most hostile” to Pyongyang and dismissing interpretations of Kim Yo Jong’s remarks as conciliatory.
Experts say the missile launches underscore Pyongyang’s firm anti-South position despite ongoing diplomatic outreach.
Meanwhile, North Korean state media announced that Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, will visit the country on a two-day trip starting Thursday.
The visit comes ahead of an anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, with speculation also growing over a possible renewed engagement between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Trump, who has previously highlighted his relationship with the North Korean leader, recently criticised South Korea’s level of support during the Middle East conflict.
“We’ve got 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect (them) from Kim Jong Un, who I get along with very well. He said very nice things about me,” Trump said, although the United States maintains about 28,500 troops in the country.
Trump and Kim met three times during his first term, and while Trump has expressed openness to another meeting, Pyongyang has yet to respond.
