Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:40am on 04 Jan 2026,Sunday International
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Sunday, coinciding with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the missiles, fired around 7:50 a.m., traveled about 900 km before landing in waters between Korea and Japan, marking Pyongyang’s first ballistic tests of the year. The launches, condemned by Seoul and Tokyo as threats to regional stability, are widely seen as a strategic message to both China and the U.S. ahead of diplomatic talks on denuclearization and ahead of North Korea’s party congress.
