North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Ahead of US-South Korea Drills

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, marking its 11th suspected test of 2026 and the second in less than a week.

The missile flew over 700km, according to South Korea's military, which detected the launch from the Wonsan area at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time.

The test precedes the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers, which are scheduled to commence on August 17.