By SCM Staff Writer I Wednesday Oct.22, 2025
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests early Wednesday, the South Korean military reported, an act of provocation clearly timed to pressure Washington and Seoul just days before President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to arrive for a major regional summit.
The launches, marking Pyongyang’s first ballistic missile activity in five months, occurred from an area south of the North Korean capital.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles flew approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles) in an eastward direction before landing or splashing down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
The timing of the test appears calculated to maximize its geopolitical impact. President Trump is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea next week, a visit that will include high-stakes meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and potentially a long-anticipated encounter with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Analysts view the missile launch as a highly visible way for the regime of Kim Jong Un to ensure its nuclear status remains at the top of the diplomatic agenda.
“This is a familiar pattern: North Korea uses missile tests as a calculated demonstration of force intended to extract concessions or gain leverage before major international diplomatic events,” said an Asia security expert in Seoul, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence analysis.
“Pyongyang is signaling that if the conversation is about regional stability, it must include recognition of its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions.”
The latest test breaks a period of relative calm following previous launches in May, which South Korean officials described at the time as simulations of nuclear counterstrikes against U.S. and South Korean forces.
It also follows a massive military parade earlier this month, where North Korea showcased its newest and most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20.
The last high-stakes nuclear diplomacy between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim collapsed in 2019, primarily over disagreements regarding the extent of sanctions relief North Korea would receive in exchange for denuclearization steps.
While Mr. Trump has recently expressed openness to new dialogue, Pyongyang has remained resistant to resuming talks without the removal of U.S.-led economic sanctions that have crippled its economy.
In response to the launch, the South Korean presidential office convened an emergency National Security Council meeting to assess the threat and maintain readiness.
In Tokyo, Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the launches and confirmed that Japanese forces were closely coordinating on real-time missile warning data with both the United States and South Korea.
The short-range ballistic missiles tested today are generally considered less provocative than long-range weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
However, their use violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from conducting any activity involving ballistic missile technology, underscoring Pyongyang’s continued defiance of international mandates.
The move intensifies the security concerns of Washington’s key allies in Northeast Asia and casts a fresh shadow over the upcoming APEC proceedings.
