North Korea fires ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan after rejecting IAEA resolution
Pyongyang launched multiple projectiles from Wonsan on Sunday following its dismissal of an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution condemning its nuclear programme.
Sunday launches from Wonsan
North Korea launched an unidentified short-range ballistic missile off its eastern coastline into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, 20 September 2026. South Korean military monitors detected the launch originating from the Wonsan area at approximately 15:00 local time (08:00 in Brussels). Only hours after the first detection, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that Pyongyang had fired a second unidentified projectile toward the same maritime area, which South Korea designates as the East Sea. The back-to-back tests represent another round in a recurring sequence of weapons demonstrations conducted off the Korean Peninsula.
Our armed forces detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan region, in North Korea, toward the East Sea around 15:00.
Regional reactions and emergency coordination
The missile launches prompted swift diplomatic and security consultations across neighbouring capitals. In Seoul, the presidential National Security Office called an emergency meeting to assess the immediate national security risks and formulate an operational response. The South Korean government called on authorities in Pyongyang to halt all ballistic missile tests immediately, describing the launches as a serious act that directly breaches United Nations Security Council resolutions. Defence and diplomatic officials from South Korea, the United States, and Japan maintained close communications to share tracking information on the projectile's flight path. In Tokyo, the Japanese Prime Minister's Office published a statement on social platform X confirming the launch of one or more suspected ballistic missiles from North Korean territory. The Japanese Ministry of Defense subsequently confirmed that the projectile had already completed its flight and landed in the sea.
- North Korea conducts its first nuclear test.
- Nuclear weapons status is enshrined into the North Korean constitution.
- Pyongyang launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles during a firepower drill.
- North Korea rejects an IAEA resolution condemning its nuclear development.
- A ballistic missile is launched from the Wonsan region toward the East Sea.
Rejection of the IAEA resolution
The Sunday missile launches occurred one day after North Korea rejected an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution that formally condemned the expansion of its nuclear weapons program. Pyongyang stated that the nuclear agency's measure carried zero weight and would have no bearing on its military trajectory. On Saturday, 19 September 2026, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official response distributed via the state-run Korean Central News Agency. In the release, North Korean officials characterized the resolution as an invalid political manoeuvre drafted by foreign powers, emphasizing that the country withdrawn from and non-compliant with IAEA oversight is not bound by its decisions.
This text concocted by the United States and the West has no effect and is illegal given that the country is not an IAEA member.
Ongoing weapons testing and nuclear status
The weekend firings follow a sequence of military exercises conducted by Pyongyang throughout September. One week prior to the Sunday launches, North Korea discharged multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea during what state media later characterized as a firepower attack exercise. North Korea conducted its first underground nuclear test in 2006 and has spent the subsequent two decades building a diverse array of ballistic missiles. In 2023, the leadership in Pyongyang formally codified its status as a nuclear weapons state into the national constitution, ruling out denuclearization talks.
