North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Friday, South Korea and Japan said, marking the latest in a series of weapons tests as tensions rise despite renewed diplomatic overtures from Washington.
Missile Fired Amid Diplomatic Uncertainty
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the suspected short-range ballistic missile was fired from North Korea’s northwest region near the Chinese border. It travelled roughly 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korean and U.S. surveillance systems detected and tracked the missile throughout its flight, sharing data with Japan, officials said. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that there were no reports of damage.
The launch follows several missile tests in recent weeks, including short-range and hypersonic weapons, which North Korea claimed were successful. Analysts see the latest launch as a show of defiance amid stalled dialogue with the United States.
Trump Signals Willingness for Dialogue
The missile test came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his readiness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While visiting South Korea last week, Trump said he remained open to talks and was willing to return to the region for a meeting.
Although no meeting has yet taken place, Trump’s comments revived speculation about potential U.S.-North Korea diplomacy. The two leaders last met in 2019 at the Panmunjom truce village along the inter-Korean border during Trump’s first term.
Kim Jong Un has not publicly responded to the latest outreach but previously said he held “fond memories” of his meetings with Trump. However, he maintains that talks can only resume if Washington stops insisting that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
Rising Tensions and Military Posturing
North Korea’s foreign ministry on Thursday accused the Trump administration of “antagonising” Pyongyang with new sanctions targeting its officials and institutions over alleged money laundering activities. It vowed to respond but did not specify how.
During a recent visit to Seoul, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to South Korea’s security alliance. He said that while the U.S. military was increasing its regional flexibility, its main priority remained deterring Pyongyang’s provocations.
North Korea has conducted several missile launches in the past month ahead of a regional summit that brought Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea. The tests included what Pyongyang described as a hypersonic missile and multiple sea-to-surface cruise missiles.
Regional analysts say the latest launch underscores Kim’s strategy of combining weapons demonstrations with cautious diplomacy to gain leverage in any future negotiations.
with inputs from Reuters
