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North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan After Drill

Wonsan Launch After Trilateral Drill

Written and analysed by Ryusei Hosono • • Updated: September 12, 2026
north-korea-fires-ballistic-missiles-toward-sea-of-japan-after-drill

This is a stylized illustration in a flat, retro-poster style showing a ballistic missile launching from the North Korean coast toward Japan. A dark blue missile with a red band climbs skyward at the center, trailing a plume of white and red smoke that billows from a launch point on a dark blue shoreline. The smoke reflects in red streaks on the water below.

On the left, a ridgeline topped with the North Korean flag rises above the coast. On the right, the Japanese archipelago appears as a dark blue silhouette floating over a deep blue sea. The background is a plain cream-colored sky with a few thin gold clouds, keeping the focus on the missile's trajectory between the two countries.

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North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan After Drill

Table of contents:

    TL;DR

    North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, a day after the United States, South Korea and Japan ended their Freedom Edge trilateral drill. The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area and flew about 250 kilometers, according to South Korea's military.

    North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, September 12, 2026, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, one day after South Korea, Japan and the United States concluded a trilateral military exercise that Pyongyang views as a provocation.

    The missiles were launched at around 5:20 a.m. from the Wonsan area in eastern North Korea and flew approximately 250 kilometers, according to the South Korean military.

    Launch Follows Freedom Edge Exercise

    The launches came shortly after the end of the Freedom Edge exercise, a trilateral drill held by South Korea, Japan and the United States from Monday through Friday. The exercise featured real-time data sharing and the integration of air, maritime, missile defense, cyber and medical capabilities.

    North Korea's Response

    North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song Gi slammed the exercise as a "crucial security threat," vowing to take "strong and reflective countermeasures," according to the country's state-run media.

    Hours after the drill began on Monday, September 7, Kim criticized the exercise and warned that North Korea was capable of taking "strong and reflective countermeasures from the standpoint of power."

    Recent Missile Activity

    The Saturday launches came three weeks after North Korea fired around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles eastward from an area near Pyongyang.

    • Multiple ballistic missiles were fired at around 5:20 a.m. Saturday from the Wonsan area in eastern North Korea
    • The projectiles flew about 250 kilometers, per South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • The launch came a day after the Freedom Edge trilateral drill ended on Friday
    • North Korea's defense minister had branded the exercise a "crucial security threat"
    • The launches followed a volley of around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles fired three weeks earlier near Pyongyang

    Sources and further reading

    1. Mainichi — North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan - The Mainichi
    2. The Hindu — North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea after military drill it sees as threat - The Hindu
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