North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Ahead of APEC Summit in South Korea

North Korea on Wednesday fired a ballistic missile eastward, South Korea’s military said, marking Pyongyang’s first weapons test in nearly five months.

A brief statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not provide further details, such as the missile’s flight distance or altitude. North Korea typically conducts test launches into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and there were no reports of damage in neighboring countries.

The launch comes just days before South Korea hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the city of Gyeongju, where US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other world leaders are expected to gather.

Experts have warned that North Korea could stage missile tests before or during the APEC summit to assert its status as a nuclear power and pressure the United Nations to lift crippling economic sanctions.

Since the collapse of his nuclear diplomacy with Trump in 2019 over sanctions disputes, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ramped up weapons testing. However, Kim recently hinted at a possible return to talks if Washington drops its demand for denuclearization—an idea Trump has said he hopes could revive diplomacy.

Earlier this month, Kim showcased a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, during a massive military parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party. North Korea’s state media described the missile as its “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system,” capable of carrying multiple warheads to evade US missile defenses. Analysts believe Pyongyang may test-launch the missile in the coming months.

Kim’s international profile has also risen recently. He appeared alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Beijing, underscoring his growing diplomatic visibility. Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have both expressed interest in renewed engagement with Kim, even as he continues to flaunt North Korea’s expanding nuclear arsenal.