North Korea test-fires missiles amid tensions over blasts across the border

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, extending a recent run of weapons tests during heightened tensions between the rivals over border land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missile being launched from the North’s eastern coastal Wonsan area, but didn’t immediately say how far the weapon flew.Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the missile likely landed outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.The South’s joint chiefs said the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.The launch came a day after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ridiculed South Korean demands for the North to apologize over the land mine blasts that South Korea and the U.S.-led United Nations Command said were caused by North Korean mines planted south of the military demarcation line.South Korea has also called on the North to halt its recent border fortification efforts, including the installation of mines and anti-tank barriers, which have accelerated after Kim Jong Un in 2024 abandoned his government’s long-standing goal of reconciliation with the South and declared Seoul a permanent adversary.Kim Yo Jong, the leader’s sister and possibly the second-most powerful figure in Pyongyang, dismissed Seoul’s demands over the mine blasts as “utterly pathetic” on Friday, saying the North intends to cut ties with the South forever.

In a previous statement, she denied North Korean responsibility for the blasts and threatened to retaliate if South Korea fires on North Korean troops fortifying the border.Saturday’s launch was the latest in a series of North Korean military displays in recent weeks, including missile tests, live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship, as Kim Jong ...