Where did North Korea fire the ballistic missile, and how did South Korea respond?

South Korea said North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at about 6:30 a.m. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it increased surveillance for additional launches and stayed in an all-out readiness posture while coordinating with the United States and Japan.

Why are tensions high between South Korea and North Korea after the DMZ mine blast?

Tensions rose after the Sept. 21 blast of North Korean land mines inside the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed North Korea, called it a blatant violation of the armistice agreement, demanded an apology, and urged Pyongyang to stop border fortification work.

What did Kim Yo-jong say about the DMZ mine blast and Seoul’s response?

Kim Yo-jong again denied North Korea’s responsibility in a Friday statement and accused Seoul of fabricating the findings. She also mocked President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to reduce military tensions and rejected Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s proposal for dialogue on the Military Demarcation Line.

N. Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea amid tensions over DMZ blast

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Summary

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, as tensions rose over a recent DMZ mine blast. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch at about 6:30 a.m. and put forces on heightened alert. The launch followed North Korea’s repeated denial of responsibility for the Sept. 21 blast that injured three South Korean soldiers.

Key Facts

The South Korean military detected the missile launch at about 6:30 a.m. from the Wonsan area.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was maintaining an all-out readiness posture and sharing information with the United States and Japan.
The Sept. 21 mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously.
Kim Yo-jong repeated North Korea’s denial on Friday and dismissed President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to reduce military tensions as a farce.
The latest launch came 13 days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on Sept. 20.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 3, 2026 8:58 am KST

North Korea tests a new combat weapon system at an unspecified location on Sept. 20, in this photo taken from the North's official Korean Central Television on Sept. 22. Yonhap

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, after Pyongyang has denied responsibility for last week's mine blast along the inter-Korean border.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch at about 6:30 a.m. from the Wonsan area, without elaborating.

"The South Korean military has stepped up surveillance for potential additional launches and is maintaining an all-out readiness posture while sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan," the JCS said in a notice.

The latest launch came amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following the Sept. 21 blast of North Korean land mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. The incident left three South Korean soldiers injured, two of them seriously.

The South Korean military has blamed North Korea for the mine blast, calling it a "blatant violation" of the armistice agreement. Seoul has also demanded apology from Pyongyang and urged it to halt border fortification work.

North Korea denied its involvement in a statement issued Wednesday by Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong-un, accusing Seoul of fabricating the findings and warning of "merciless" retaliation if the South takes any corresponding actions.

In a separate statement Friday, Kim again repeated the denial of the North's responsibility, while deriding President Lee Jae Myung's pledge to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas as "the climax of the farce that everyone should watch."

She also dismissed Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's proposal for dialogue to discuss the issue of clarifying the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), as a "delusional, one-sided rant not worth responding to." Chung cited the fading visibility of the border line as a primary factor behind the DMZ blast.

The latest launch came just 13 days after the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea within hours of each other on Sept. 20.

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