North Korea fires missile barrage toward sea as tensions with South rise — SkimNews
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- North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the eastern coastal town of Wonsan toward the sea on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
- South Korea said it detected the launches, bolstered its surveillance posture and was closely exchanging information about them with the U.S. and Japan.
- Three South Korean soldiers were injured in September 21 landmine blasts; Seoul accused North Korea of planting the mines south of the military demarcation line, while Pyongyang denied responsibility and warned of retaliation if provoked.
- North Korea had said the previous week it would restart frontline propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons systems along the border in protest of repeated South Korean warning shots.
- South Korea proposed talks to clarify the border and prevent accidental clashes, but North Korea had not responded by the time of the launches.
- Kim Jong Un visited Dandong on October 24 via a newly inaugurated bridge, paid respects at a memorial marking Chinese support during the 1950-53 Korean War and later met Wang Huning to reaffirm bilateral cooperation; it was his sixth China visit since taking office in late 2011.
- North Korea recently took steps to bolster ties with China after years of prioritizing Russia by sending troops and ammunition to support its war against Ukraine.
- Trump expressed his desire to restore diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, while experts said the launches were likely aimed at pressuring the U.S. into making bigger concessions.
Why it matters: For South Korea, the salvo turns an unresolved dispute over three injured soldiers into an active military confrontation: roughly 10 missiles were detected, surveillance was increased, and Seoul was sharing information with the U.S. and Japan. Pyongyang’s lack of response to Seoul’s border-talk proposal leaves the proposed channel for avoiding accidental clashes unused.
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