North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Into East Sea Ahead Of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit

North Korea launched a ballistic missile late Monday toward the East Sea, escalating tensions across Northeast Asia. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the projectile, detected around 11:10 p.m. KST (10:10 a.m. GMT), was fired from an area near Pyongyang and travelled approximately 1,000 kilometres before landing in international waters, about 200 kilometres west of Japan’s Okushiri Island, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.Japan’s Defence Ministry corroborated the detection, noting that while the missile did not enter its airspace, missile defence systems were briefly activated as a precaution, according to NHK. The launch marks North Korea’s most serious provocation since May 2025, when a series of short-range missiles flew up to 800 kilometres into the same sea, tests that Reuters reported were linked to Pyongyang’s weapons exports to Russia.Regional Fallout and Security Response“This is a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a needless escalation,” said US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett to AP News, echoing statements from Seoul and Tokyo. South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok vowed a “stern response” and pledged coordination with Washington and Tokyo, warning that the test “threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and invites further isolation for North Korea.”Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba convened an emergency meeting, labelling the launch “unacceptable” and urging the UN Security Council to take up the matter, Kyodo News reported. Temporary evacuation alerts were issued in northern Japan via the J-Alert system, though lifted once it became clear the missile would not impact land.Analysts Warn of Renewed Strategic Messaging from PyongyangAnalysts at the Korea Institute for National Unification told Reuters that the test likely serves to reinforce Pyongyang’s deterrence narrative. Researcher Hong Min said it “fits Kim Jong Un’s long-standing playbook of provocation before diplomatic resets.”UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement to Al Jazeera, called for restraint and renewed dialogue, cautioning that “escalatory tests risk destabilising Northeast Asia.” Intelligence reports from Seoul’s National Intelligence Service suggest the regime may also be preparing for a seventh nuclear test, underscoring a broader pattern of strategic brinkmanship that has defined Kim’s rule since 2011.