North Korea has launched suspected ballistic missiles into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo say, in what appears to be a weapons test before a major political congress in the country. Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Defence also said Pyongyang fired what appeared to be two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan. Japan said Pyongyang’s repeated launches of ballistic missiles threatened “the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community”. “Such ​ballistic missile launches also violate relevant UN Security Council resolutions ‌and constitute a grave issue affecting the safety of the public. North Korea is prohibited by United Nations resolutions from launching or testing ballistic missiles of any range.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 27, 2026 15:03 UTC