North Korea fires around 10 short-range missiles toward the East Sea

North Korea launched around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, Oct. 29, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missiles were fired from the Wonsan area on the North's east coast at about 12:30 p.m. local time (03:30 UTC) and flew roughly 250 kilometres, according to the JCS account cited by Reuters and Deutsche Welle. The exact missile models and the purpose of the launch have not been publicly identified. [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-fires-projectile-toward-sea-off-east-coast-south-korea-military-says-2026-10-29/) | [DW](https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-south-korea-japan-kim-jong-un-missile/a-79791900) Seoul said it had strengthened surveillance and readiness for any further launches, while sharing information with the United States and Japan. Japan's Prime Minister's Office separately instructed agencies to gather and analyze information, keep the public informed, protect aircraft and vessels, and prepare for contingencies. Japan's Defense Ministry said the projectiles fell outside the country's exclusive economic zone, according to Yonhap as cited by DW. No damage or casualties have been reported in the coverage reviewed. Why it matters: the launch adds to a tense period on the Korean Peninsula, where Seoul has recently proposed talks on border issues and Pyongyang has not accepted. The short-range missiles were directed toward waters off North Korea's east coast; the available reporting does not establish that they threatened Japanese territory. The next immediate step is continued monitoring by South Korean, U.S. and Japanese authorities. Further details about the missile type and North Korea's stated rationale remain unconfirmed. ~NorthKorea ~SouthKorea ~Japan ~WorldNews