Japan, South Korea On High Alert After North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles

Last Updated:April 19, 2026, 10:37 IST

Japan said it was coordinating with the US and South Korea to analyse the missile launches, the seventh by North Korea this year and its fourth in April.

Japan and South Korea went into a state of high alert on Sunday after North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, marking the latest launch in Pyongyang’s efforts to boost its military capabilities.

The incident marks North Korea’s seventh ballistic missile launch this year and its fourth in April, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea has rejected the UN ban and said it infringes its sovereign right to self-defence.

The Japanese government activated its top-tier crisis management protocols to ensure public safety and regional stability in the face of the renewed provocation. “At around 06:00 today, what may be multiple ballistic missiles were launched from North Korea," said Japan PM Sanae Takaichi.

Takaichi said she instructed ministries and agencies “to devote all efforts to information gathering and analysis, to provide prompt and accurate information to the public, to thoroughly confirm the safety of aircraft, vessels, and the like, and to maintain a state of utmost readiness in preparation for any contingencies."

She said the United States, Japan and South Korea are closely coordinating to analyse information. “We intend to ensure complete preparedness for all crisis management matters, including cases such as this."

South Korea Ready Against North’s Provocations

Meanwhile, South Korea’s presidential office said it had held an emergency security meeting. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the country remains ready to repel any provocations from North Korea and is closely coordinating with the US and Japan. The missiles were fired near the city of Sinpo on North Korea’s east coast at around 6:10 am, the military said.

In the emergency meeting of the National Security Council, senior South Korean officials expressed concerns about North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile tests and urged it to stop them immediately. These launches came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left the country to visit India and Vietnam.

Sunday’s missile launches also came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised missile tests from the country’s destroyer last week. In the week before that, North Korea said it had three days of testing activities to examine ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads and other new weapons systems.

Meanwhile, China and the United States are preparing for a re-scheduled summit in mid-May where US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss North Korea.

(with inputs from agencies)

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