North Korea Conducts Ninth Ballistic Missile Launch of 2026

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from its east coast toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday morning.

The Japan Ministry of Defense reported the launch.

The missile was launched eastward at around 5:59 a.m. local time. According to preliminary Japanese assessments, it traveled about 690 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of approximately 90 kilometers.

The missile fell into the Sea of Japan outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The Japanese government provided information about the launch to aircraft and vessels operating near the missile’s flight path. There are currently no reports of damage or casualties.

This was North Korea’s ninth ballistic missile launch since the beginning of 2026.

Pyongyang’s previous launch took place on June 25. Kim Jong Un was then shown new missile systems.

In addition to artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems, the demonstration included the launch of a ballistic missile from a self-propelled launcher. It was presented as a modular system developed as an analogue of the U.S. HIMARS.

North Korea has been improving its missile arsenal and increasing missile production through cooperation with Russia.

In early June 2026, during a visit to a Missile Administration industrial facility, Kim Jong Un ordered a 2.5-fold increase in the production of ballistic and cruise missiles.

The country is also increasingly developing new models of ballistic and cruise missiles for various launch platforms. These include the new Hwasal-2 cruise missiles, which are described as the backbone of North Korea’s missile arsenal.

There are also variants such as the Pulhwasal-3-31, designed for launch from maritime platforms, including surface ships and submarines. These missiles were developed based on the Hwasal-2.