North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean
leader's visit to China
[January 05, 2026]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched multiple ballistic
missiles toward its eastern waters Sunday, its neighbors said, just
hours before South Korea's president left for China for talks expected
to cover North Korea's nuclear program.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected
several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region
around 7:50 a.m. It said the missiles flew about 900 kilometers (560
miles) and that South Korea and U.S. authorities were analyzing details
of the launches.
South Korea's Defense Ministry noted the launches violated U.N. Security
Council resolutions that ban any ballistic activities by North Korea. It
urged North Korea to cease provocative actions immediately and respond
to South Korea's push to restart talks and restore peace on the Korean
Peninsula.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that at least two
missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. “They are a serious
problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region
and the world,” Koizumi told reporters.
The U.S. military said in a statement on social media that the missile
launches did not “pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or
territory, or to our allies.”
“The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland
and our allies in the region,” the military said.
North Korea ramps up weapons display ahead of political meet
The launches were the latest weapons demonstration by North Korea in
recent weeks. Experts say North Korea is aiming to show off or review
its achievements in the defense sector ahead of its upcoming ruling
party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Observers are
watching the Workers Party congress to see whether North Korea will set
a new policy on the U.S. and resume long-stalled talks between the two
countries.
North Korea has been focusing on testing activities to enlarge its
nuclear arsenal since its leader Kim Jong Un's summitry with U.S.
President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has also boosted his
diplomatic credentials by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine
and tightening relations with China. Observers say Kim would believe his
leverage has sharply increased to wrest concessions from Trump if they
sit down for talks again.
North Korea hasn't announced when it will hold the congress, but South
Korea's spy service said it will likely occur in January or February.
Launches comes before South Korean leader's trip to China
Sunday's launches also came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae
Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping. During
the four-day trip, Lee’s office said he would request China, North
Korea's major ally and biggest trading partner, to take “a constructive
role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
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Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at a press
conference at Defense Ministry in Tokyo Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026,
following a report of North Korea's missile launch. (Motoshi
Ogura/Kyodo News via AP)
South Korea and the U.S. have long asked China to exercise its
influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or give
up its nuclear program. But there are questions on how big of a
leverage China has on its socialist neighbor. China, together with
Russia, has also repeatedly blocked the U.S. and others' attempts to
toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.
Later Sunday, South Korea convened an emergency national security
council meeting to discuss the North Korean missile launches. The
council reported details of the launches and unspecified South
Korean steps to Lee, according to the presidential office.
North Korea condemns US operation in Venezuela
The launches followed Saturday's dramatic U.S. military operation
that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought
him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. It
represented America’s most assertive action to achieve regime change
in a country since the nation’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday slammed the U.S. operation,
saying it again shows “the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S.” A
ministry statement said it denounces the U.S. act as “the most
serious form of encroachment of sovereignty."
“Kim Jong Un may feel vindicated about his efforts to build a
nuclear deterrent, as he likely did after Trump’s strikes on Iran,”
said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha
Womans University in Seoul. “However, leaders of hostile regimes
will probably live with greater paranoia after seeing how quickly
Maduro was extracted from his country to stand trial in the United
States.”
The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday Kim visited a
weapons factory on Saturday to review multipurpose precision guided
weapons produced there. KCNA cited Kim as ordering officials to
expand the current production capacity by about 2.5 times.
Last Sunday, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range
strategic cruise missiles. On Dec. 25, North Korea released photos
showing apparent progress in the construction of its first
nuclear-powered submarine.
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Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Ben Finley in
Washington contributed to this report.
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