North Korea launches ballistic missile off east coast

South Korean military officials provided no details about the type of missile or its flight range beyond the fact of the launch itself.

Japan also confirmed the suspected missile launch by North Korea and noted that it most likely fell outside the country's exclusive economic zone. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said there were no confirmed reports of damage.

This launch heightens tensions on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the region. South Korea and Japan are monitoring the situation, and this move could lead to further diplomatic and military consequences.

AP, in turn, reports that negotiations between Seoul, Pyongyang, and Washington are at a standstill. The outlet also notes that in recent weeks, North Korea has accelerated its weapons testing, including launches last month of what it claimed were hypersonic missiles and cruise missiles, which it said expanded the capabilities of its nuclear forces.

Earlier, South Korean military officials said that on Monday, when US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began a two-day visit to South Korea, they detected that North Korea had fired 10 artillery shells into its western waters.

"The joint chiefs also said the North fired the same number of rounds on Saturday afternoon, before a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea's Gyeongju, where Lee called for a stronger role by Beijing to persuade the North to return to dialogue with Washington and Seoul," the Associated Press reported.

North Korea does not plan to disarm

South Korean intelligence recently stated that North Korea is reportedly preparing for a possible meeting between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump.

Kim Jong Un has avoided any form of negotiations with Washington and Seoul since his diplomatic relations with Trump deteriorated during the American leader's first term in 2019. Tensions arose due to disagreements over exchanging the easing of US sanctions against North Korea for steps toward dismantling Kim's nuclear program.

In August, the US president announced his intention to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

On November 7, Trump said he had already discussed denuclearization — the reduction of nuclear weapons — with China and Russia. Meanwhile, Pyongyang stated in September that the country's nuclear status is irreversible.