North Korea fired two short-range missiles from the city of Wonsan into the East Sea, about three hours apart, shortly before the Trump-Xi Jinping summit in Washington.
On 20 September 2026, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced thatthe first missile launch was detected from the Wonsan area in eastern North Korea at around 15:00 local time. The missile flew approximately 450 kilometers. The second missile was detected at about 17:50, traveling over 600 kilometers. The launches were spaced roughly three hours apart, with officials currently analyzing the details to accurately identify the missile types and their characteristics.
The South Korean military stated that intelligence agencies from South Korea and the United States monitored the launches from the start and exchanged information with Japan regarding the missile firings. They confirmed that they will closely observe North Korea's activities and remain prepared to respond in case of further military provocations.
Following the first missile detection, South Korea's National Security Office held an emergency meeting with the Ministry of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to evaluate the situation and its impact on national security. They urged North Korea to immediately halt these military actions, noting that the missile launches violate United Nations Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from developing nuclear and missile programs.
This latest missile launch occurred roughly one week after North Korea fired multiple short-range missiles from Wonsan into the East Sea on 12 September, following trilateral military exercises by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. It also took place just before the scheduled summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington on 24 September. The North Korean issue and efforts to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program are key topics of interest, amid Pyongyang's continued development of nuclear and weapons capabilities.
Source: Yonhap