North Korea fires ballistic missiles in first test of 2026Listen to this articleA photo released by North Korean state media shows leader Kim Jong Un visiting a missile factory this weekSEOUL - North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, Seoul's military said, a day after a major US military operation against Pyongyang's socialist ally Venezuela. Seoul's defence ministry said it had detected "several projectiles, presumed to be ballistic missiles" fired from near the North Korean capital Pyongyang around 7:50 am (2250 GMT Saturday). "The underlying message is likely that attacking North Korea would not be as easy as a strike on Venezuela," he said. A former senior North Korean diplomat who defected in 2023 said Pyongyang should learn from the US operation. Lee hopes to possibly harness China's clout over North Korea to support his bid to improve ties with Pyongyang.

Source: Bangkok Post January 04, 2026 13:35 UTC