North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles Toward Sea of Japan, One Travels Over 910 km

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from inland areas of the country on October 12, Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported.

The first missile was launched at around 9:19 a.m. local time. It reached an altitude of approximately 20 km and traveled about 220 km.

The second missile was launched at 9:36 a.m. It reached an altitude of approximately 70 km and traveled more than 910 km.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the missiles did not reach Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. No damage to ships or aircraft has been reported so far.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense also reported that North Korea has conducted at least 11 launches of ballistic missiles and other missile systems since the beginning of 2026, firing a total of at least 18 missiles.

The number of launches has already more than doubled the total for all of 2025, while the number of missiles fired is approximately three times higher.

The previous ballistic missile launch took place on October 30, 2026. At the time, North Korea launched a missile toward the Sea of Japan, which Pyongyang described as a “strategic intermediate-range missile.”

According to North Korean officials, the missile can change its trajectory at low altitudes and supports at least four selectable flight modes, depending on the target and mission.

North Korea also conducted a ballistic missile launch on September 20, 2026.

The missile was launched at 3:00 p.m. Japan time. Japanese estimates say it reached a maximum altitude of about 60 km and traveled about 440 km. The missile landed in the Sea of Japan, outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

North Korea later officially confirmed the test and released photographs of the missile. According to North Korean officials, the military tested a new variant of the Hwasong-11Ma-1 ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle warhead.