North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast into the sea and near Japan on the fourth day of January 2026. South Korean military detected the launches at around 7:50 a.m. local time on Sunday. Data showed that the missiles flew about 900 kilometers.
The aforementioned marks the first missile testing of 2026 by North Korea. The last reported ballistic test by the Kim administration was held on 7 November 2025.
It is worth noting that the launch occurred a few hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing for a four-day state visit to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the second meeting between the two heads of state in two months.
Both South Korea and China are pushing for closer economic ties, supply chain investment, and tourism. President Lee has also been seeking to discuss peace on the Korean peninsula.
Observers on social media noted that the launch was a deliberate message from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to China. It served to warn China against forming closer ties with South Korea and to express defiance against the possible denuclearization stance of Xi.
The launch was also discussed alongside the surprise United States military strike in the capital of Venezuela, which led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Other observers believe that North Korea is signaling that it is different from Venezuela and that it cannot be forced into a similar regime-change maneuver by foreign state actors because it has demonstrated capabilities to launch ballistic nuclear weapons.
North Korea has been conducting missile launch tests to showcase the success of the leadership under the regime of Kim. This is also in line with the Ninth Party Congress in 2026.
Showing off advanced military hardware is a way to fuel further domestic support and prove that the economic sacrifices of the country have resulted in a powerful national defense. Note that Kim has ordered a doubling of production capacity for tactical weapons.
The choice of ballistic missiles is grounded on two principles. First, it has speed and power, and second, it is an ideal cross-border delivery vehicle for nuclear warheads.
United Nations Security Council resolutions have banned North Korea from testing ballistic missiles. Hence, due to its continuous testing, the country is intentionally breaking international laws to show that sanctions and global pressure cannot stop its progress.