North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Following US-Japan-South Korea Military Drills

September 12, 2026 | 10:36 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Korea fired several ballistic missiles on Saturday into the Sea of Japan—also known as the East Sea—after South Korea, Japan, and the United States concluded joint military exercises the previous day.

As quoted by ANTARA, the ballistic missile was launched at around 5:20 a.m. from the Wonsan region in northeastern North Korea. It traveled 250 kilometers, according to the South Korean military. 

From Monday, September 9, to Friday, September 11, the Freedom Edge joint exercise was conducted with South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. The exercise featured real-time data exchange and the integration of air, maritime, missile, cyber, and medical capabilities.

North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song Gi condemned the exercises as a "critical security threat," according to local state media reports. They are also determined to take "strong countermeasures" following the joint exercises.

This latest missile launch took place three weeks after North Korea fired a dozen short-range ballistic missiles eastward from the capital, Pyongyang.

The missile launch by North Korea on August 20 took place amidst large-scale military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea, which North Korea condemned as preparations for a military invasion.

Prior to the launch, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered that the annual exercise be shortened this year.

However, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, assessed that the reduction in the duration of joint exercises between the U.S. and South Korea does not alter the nature of the drills as a hostile act, according to North Korean state media reports.

Read: Why North Korea's Kim Jong Un Doesn't Need a US Deal

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