North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile from Wonsan into the East Sea ahead of the South Korea-US joint military exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield." South Korea condemned the launch as a provocative act violating UN resolutions.
On 7 August 2026, Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea's military launched one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on the evening of 6 August. This prompted South Korea to raise its surveillance and closely monitor the situation.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the missile was launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast at about 17:00 local time. They did not disclose details about the missile's range or type but said they had increased monitoring and patrols to prepare for possible additional launches. They maintained a high level of combat readiness and closely coordinated intelligence sharing with the United States and Japan. The Joint Chiefs also revealed that South Korea and the US detected and tracked North Korea’s activities from the start of the launch and are jointly analyzing the missile’s capabilities.
Reports noted that the missile launch occurred ahead of the annual "Ulchi Freedom Shield" joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, scheduled for later this month. Following the launch, South Korea’s National Security Office at the presidential office convened an emergency meeting, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to assess the security impact and order all agencies to maintain readiness. The office condemned the launch as a provocative act violating UN Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate cessation of such actions.
Source: Yonhap