South Korea Calls for Immediate Halt After North Korea Fires 900‑km Ballistic Missiles
Updated (3 articles)
Missile launch detected near Pyongyang at 7:50 a.m., traveling roughly 900 km South Korean and U.S. sensors recorded the ballistic missiles launching from an area close to Pyongyang at about 7:50 a.m. on Jan 4, and the projectiles flew an estimated 900 kilometers before descending into the East Sea [1][2][3]. The launch marks North Korea’s first weapons test of 2026, following its last ballistic missile launch in November [2][3]. Analysts from both Seoul and Washington are reviewing flight data to determine the missile type and range [1].
Cheong Wa Dae convenes emergency meeting and issues condemnation Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong‑deuk chaired an emergency session with defense ministry officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to assess the launch and South Korea’s readiness [1][2][3]. The Office of National Security released a statement labeling the test a “provocative act” that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to cease such actions [1][2][3]. The meeting also examined possible adjustments to the country’s defensive posture in response to the provocation [1].
Domestic political leaders denounce the launch as illegal and destabilizing Ruling Democratic Party spokesperson Moon Dae‑lim called the missile test an illegal breach of sanctions, while opposition People Power Party spokesperson Choi Bo‑yun warned it could jeopardize the upcoming Korea‑China summit [1]. Both parties framed the launch as harmful to regional diplomacy and demanded restraint from the North [1]. Their statements underscore a bipartisan consensus in Seoul that the test threatens diplomatic initiatives.
Launch timed before President Lee’s Beijing summit and amid Kim’s factory tours The missiles were fired just hours before President Lee Jae Myung’s departure for a summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a meeting Seoul hopes will secure Chinese backing for denuclearization talks [1][2][3]. Kim Jong‑un’s recent tours of a nuclear‑powered submarine facility and a munitions plant highlight the regime’s focus on expanding its strategic capabilities ahead of the ninth party congress [1][2]. The timing suggests Pyongyang may be seeking to influence the diplomatic atmosphere surrounding the summit.
Sources (3 articles)
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[1]
Yonhap: Cheong Wa Dae urges North Korea to cease provocations following missile launch – Details the 900 km missile flight, emergency security meeting chaired by Lim Jong‑deuk, and the launch’s proximity to President Lee’s Beijing trip, emphasizing Seoul’s call for Pyongyang to stop provocations .
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[2]
Yonhap: Cheong Wa Dae urges North Korea to cease provocations after missile launch – Reiterates the 900 km range, notes it as the year’s first test, and highlights Kim Jong‑un’s factory tours and the launch’s timing before the Korea‑China summit .
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[3]
Yonhap: Cheong Wa Dae urges North Korea to cease provocations after missile launches – Focuses on the emergency meeting’s composition, the UN‑resolution violation claim, and adds a broader geopolitical note about a U.S. operation in Venezuela, placing the launch in a wider international context .
Timeline
Nov 2025 – North Korea conducts its last ballistic‑missile launch before 2026, a test that later serves as the benchmark for the country’s “first weapons test of the year” on Jan. 4, 2026 [2].
Late 2025 – Kim Jong‑un tours a nuclear‑powered submarine facility and a munitions plant, preparing for the ninth party congress that is expected to convene soon [2].
Jan 4, 2026 (7:50 a.m.) – North Korea fires a series of ballistic missiles from near Pyongyang into the East Sea, each traveling roughly 900 km; the launches mark the regime’s first weapons test of the year [1][2][3].
Jan 4, 2026 (morning) – The Office of National Security at Cheong Wa Dae holds an emergency meeting, chaired by Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong‑deuk and attended by defense‑ministry officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to analyze the launch and review South Korea’s military readiness [1][2][3].
Jan 4, 2026 – South Korea’s defense ministry condemns the missile launches as a “clear violation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions and urges Pyongyang to cease all provocations [1].
Jan 4, 2026 – Ruling Democratic Party spokesperson Moon Dae‑lim calls the provocation “illegal and a direct violation of sanctions,” while opposition People Power Party spokesperson Choi Bo‑yun warns the launches could disrupt the upcoming Korea‑China summit [1].
Jan 4, 2026 – President Lee Jae Myung departs for Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, seeking China’s support for denuclearisation talks, just hours after the missile launch [1][2][3].
2026 (date unspecified) – The United States announces it has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a large‑scale military operation, a development noted alongside the North Korean missile launches [3].
2026 (expected soon) – North Korea plans to hold its ninth party congress, for which Kim Jong‑un’s recent factory tours serve as preparation [2].