North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, its first such action in five months, as South Korea prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. The missiles, fired toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan), traveled about 350 km (217 miles) and landed inland, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, correcting earlier reports suggesting they fell into the sea. The military has heightened monitoring and is coordinating with the U.S. and Japan, anticipating possible further launches.
The timing, just days before the APEC summit attended by leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, suggests North Korea’s intent to assert its presence, said Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who showcased a new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile at a military parade on October 11 marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party, has consistently pushed to advance his country’s nuclear capabilities, rejecting international bans as necessary defense against the U.S. and South Korea.
This launch, the first under South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, follows missile tests on May 8 and 22, 2025. Experts warn that Kim may stage more provocations during the summit to reinforce North Korea’s nuclear-armed status. Trump, who met Kim during his first term, recently expressed interest in renewed talks, though Pyongyang insists it will not abandon its nuclear arsenal. The parade, attended by Chinese and Russian leaders, underscored Kim’s growing diplomatic clout and military ambitions.
