North Korea fired at least one projectile towards the sea off its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's military said, adding to a run of weapons tests at a time of heightened tension between the two Koreas over land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was launched towards the North's eastern waters.
Japan, however, moved quickly on its own assessment. The Prime Minister's Office of Japan issued an emergency alert on X in the early hours of Saturday, saying North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile and that more updates would follow.
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[Emergency alert]
— PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) October 2, 2026
North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow.
Tokyo's wording describes a suspected ballistic missile, while Seoul has so far confirmed only a projectile.
The launch came a day after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, ridiculed South Korean demands that Pyongyang apologise for the mine explosions.
South Korea and the US-led United Nations Command have said the blasts were caused by North Korean mines planted south of the military demarcation line that divides the peninsula.
Seoul has also urged the North to stop its recent efforts to fortify the border, which include laying mines and installing anti-tank barriers. Kim Yo Jong rejected those calls, describing South Korea's demands as "utterly pathetic". She said Pyongyang intends to cut ties with the South permanently.
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Saturday's launch is the latest in a string of North Korean military displays over recent weeks. These have included tests of what Pyongyang described as a hypersonic missile system, live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship.
Taken together with the border dispute, the activity points to a sustained phase of military signalling by the North, even as it hardens its rhetoric towards Seoul.
The mine blasts have sharpened the confrontation by putting South Korean soldiers directly at risk along one of the world's most heavily militarised frontiers.
The question of who is responsible has become a flashpoint, with the South and the UN Command attributing the explosions to mines laid by the North, and Pyongyang showing no sign of accepting that account or offering an apology.
Japan has said it will provide more updates as its assessment continues. Pyongyang has not yet commented on Saturday's launch.
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