North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles Ahead of Party Congress Amid Ongoing Drone Probe

Updated 2026-01-27 08:43:58+00:00 (60 articles)

Missile launch confirmed by regional defenses North Korea fired suspected ballistic missiles toward the sea on 27 January, a launch detected by Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Ministry and by South Korea’s Defense Ministry, which reported at least one unidentified projectile off its east coast. No impact data or range details were released. [1]

Launch timed to precede Workers’ Party congress Analysts say the missile test aims to heighten anti‑South sentiment before the ruling party’s congress expected in late January or February, where Kim Jong Un may embed a hostile “two‑state” system into the constitution. The test follows earlier hypersonic missile flights and a December showcase of strategic cruise missiles and a nuclear‑powered submarine prototype, underscoring a broader weapons‑development push. [1]

South Korea imposes travel bans on three civilian suspects joint police‑military investigation placed travel bans on graduate student Oh, drone builder Jang, and a third associate linked to their startup, preventing them from leaving the country. Authorities plan charges under the Aviation Safety Act and the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, marking the first formal step in a probe sparked by North Korea’s drone accusations. [3][4][5][7][8][9][10][11]

Graduate student Oh publicly claims drone missions Oh told media he piloted drones to assess radiation at a North Korean uranium facility, a claim that led investigators to seize a partially assembled drone and an object from a university office. Both Oh and Jang previously worked at former President Yoon Suk‑Yeol’s office and co‑founded a drone manufacturing startup; Oh also ran North‑Korea‑focused online news outlets alleged to be fronts for covert intelligence operations. [2][4][7][8][9][10]

North Korea threatens retaliation while Seoul denies state involvement Pyongyang warned of retaliation after accusing South Korea of drone incursions in September 2025 and on 4 January 2026, framing the flights as sovereignty violations. South Korean officials maintain the government did not operate the drones and are focusing the investigation on civilian actors, while the drone photos released by KCNA show a craft forced down in Kaesong. [3][4][5][7][8][9][10]

Sources (11 articles)

Timeline

Sept 27 2025 – North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reports a South Korean drone launched from Paju that infiltrated North Korean airspace, was struck by electronic warfare, and crashed in Jangphung County near Kaesong, claiming the drone carried surveillance equipment. [25][24][22]

Oct – Nov 2024 – An internal South Korean military document reveals that 59 frontline drone‑unit soldiers dispatched 18 drones on 11 occasions, dropping anti‑Pyongyang leaflets over the North to create a pretext for a later martial‑law bid. [15]

Dec 2025 – North Korea announces test‑firings of long‑range strategic cruise missiles, new anti‑air missiles and releases photos of construction on its first nuclear‑powered submarine, underscoring a broader weapons‑development push. [1]

Jan 4 2026 – The North Korean military says it used electronic‑warfare assets to down a South Korean drone over Ganghwa County, forcing it to crash near Muksan‑ri, Kaesong, and alleges the drone carried cameras for a three‑hour, 156‑km surveillance flight. [22][24][25]

Jan 10 2026 – Pyongyang accuses Seoul of violating DPRK sovereignty with drone incursions in September 2025 and on Jan 4, warning that “the ROK will pay a dear price” for the provocation. [22][25][24]

Jan 10 2026 – South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu‑back rejects the accusations, stating the drones shown in NK photos are not models owned by the South Korean military and that no such flights occurred on the cited dates. [29][30][27]

Jan 10 2026 – Kim Yo‑jong issues a KCNA statement demanding a detailed explanation, declaring “Clear is just the fact that the drone from the ROK violated the airspace of our country.” [19]

Jan 10 2026 – President Lee Jae Myung orders a swift, thorough investigation into the alleged drone incursions, warning that any confirmed act would be a grave crime threatening peace and national security. [20][21][11]

Jan 11 2026 – Kim Yo‑jong again calls for an apology, labeling the drone flights “unforgivable hysteria” and urging Seoul to acknowledge the violation. [13]

Jan 12 2026 – Defense Minister Ahn says he is open to a joint inter‑Korean probe through the United Nations Command if North Korea returns the drones, indicating willingness to involve the UNC in verification. [17]

Jan 12 2026 – The defence ministry pledges a swift joint police‑military probe, keeping “all possibilities open,” including civilian involvement, and notes the police will lead the investigation. [18]

Jan 14 2026 – Unification Minister Chung Dong‑young says Seoul will take “corresponding action” after the fact‑finding team finishes its probe and hints an apology may be offered for the 2024 civilian‑drone dispatch pending a court ruling. [16]

Jan 16 2026 – North Korean state media highlights renewable‑energy projects and announces large‑scale youth events marking the 80th anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, timed to boost loyalty ahead of the upcoming Workers’ Party congress. [13]

Jan 16 2026 – South Korea reiterates its commitment to easing tensions, pledges a swift probe into the drone claim, and says it is reviewing the inter‑Korean military‑tension‑reduction pact. [14]

Jan 18 2026 – Police question a civilian suspect who built the alleged drone; investigators note his prior work in former President Yoon Suk‑Yeol’s presidential office and his role in a university‑backed drone startup founded in 2024. [12]

Jan 20 2026 – President Lee orders a thorough probe into the civilian‑drone case, emphasizing that the investigation will examine whether private actors were behind the incursions and noting North Korea’s repeated accusations. [11]

Jan 21 2026 – Joint police‑military teams raid the homes and offices of three civilian suspects, executing search‑and‑seizure warrants under the Aviation Safety Act; one suspect, graduate student Oh, is questioned after publicly claiming he piloted the drones. [8][9][10]

Jan 23 2026 – South Korea imposes overseas travel bans on three civilians—including Oh and co‑suspect Jang—linked to the alleged drone flights, as the joint investigation expands to examine possible civilian operators and their ties to a former presidential office. [2][6][7]

Jan 26 2026 – Graduate student Oh appears before police after a media interview in which he said he flew drones to North Korea to check radiation at a uranium facility; investigators seize a partially assembled drone and probe his connections to a former presidential office and a military‑intelligence‑linked news outlet. [5]

Jan 27 2026 – North Korea launches suspected ballistic missiles toward the sea, a test interpreted by analysts as a showcase of recent weapons progress ahead of the Workers’ Party congress expected in late January or February, where Kim Jong Un may embed a hostile “two‑state” system into the party constitution for the first time in five years. [1]

Late Jan – Feb 2026 (planned) – The Workers’ Party congress convenes, potentially formalising a hostile “two‑state” system in the party charter and serving as the political backdrop for North Korea’s missile launch and heightened anti‑South rhetoric. [1]