In brief
North Korea fired roughly a dozen short‑range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on Thursday, according to the South Korean military. The launches came a week after Seoul offered military talks to ease border tensions and followed a mineblast that wounded three soldiers. South Korea’s presidential office urged the North to stop provocations, while the Seoul army cited the missiles as a show of force that could involve new systems such as the KN‑25 launcher and possible mixed salvos with drones and artillery.
North Korea fired roughly a dozen short‑range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan coast toward the East Sea on Thursday, the South Korean military said, prompting Seoul’s presidential office to call for a halt to provocations. The missiles, launched around 12:30 p.m. from the eastern coast, reportedly traveled about 250 kilometers.
Yonhap reported that the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff believed the launch may have involved the North’s KN‑25 super‑large 600‑millimeter multiple‑rocket launcher, which Pyongyang claims can carry Hwasan‑31 tactical nuclear warheads. The military also warned that the missiles could have been part of a mixed‑salvo drill featuring cruise missiles, drones or smaller rocket artillery, a move the JCS says was intended primarily "for show."
South Korea had proposed military talks with Pyongyang a week earlier to resolve border demarcation issues after a September 21 mineblast injured three soldiers. Seoul has been investigating alleged North Korean breaches of the Military Demarcation Line while fortifying its side of the border with fences and land mines. North Korea denied responsibility for the blast, threatened to deploy weapons, and vowed to resume loudspeaker broadcasts of anti‑South propaganda along the border.
SEDaily added that the North had moved a self‑propelled howitzer to the western front line this week, a legacy artillery piece positioned far enough south to be captured by South Korean media cameras. The outlet said the howitzer reflected a broader shift of older artillery being replaced with new rocket launchers and missiles.
Meanwhile, Gulf‑Times noted that diplomatic efforts between the two sides had broken down over U.S. demands that North Korea give up its nuclear arsenal, adding a new layer of tension to the conflict.
