Story perspectives

Kim Jong Un Oversees New Missile Test, South Korea Reports

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 2:49 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Kim Jong Un oversaw a new combat weapon test on September 20, 2026.
South Korea staff recorded two ballistic missiles launched from Wonsan at 3:00 p.m. and 5:50 p.m.
The first missile traveled about 450 km and the second more than 600 km, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
South Korea, Japanese and U.S. foreign ministers met on UN Assembly sidelines to coordinate peninsula peace and denuclearisation.

Summary

North Korea Condemns Drills

North Korean state media condemned the U.S.–South Korea joint drills as more provocative than last year.
Pyongyang warned it will keep exercising its right to self-defence to neutralise the perceived threat.
Pyongyang called the U.S.–Japan–South Korea trilateral framework a “nuclear alliance” raising tensions.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, dismissed IAEA denuclearisation talks at its 70th General Conference as “familiar silly talk.”

History

Historical Context

North Korea’s first underground nuclear test on 9 October 2006 at Punggye-ri, a plutonium device yielding about 0.2–1 kt, triggered UN Security Council Resolution 1718 and sanctions. Decades of a clandestine program—rooted in 1960s Soviet-assisted reactor work—have since produced repeated missile launches, including Kim Jong Un’s 2026 tests, prompting the United States and allies to convene at the UN to reinforce collective pressure.

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Story summary

Kim Jong Un oversaw a new combat weapon test on September 20, 2026.
South Korea staff recorded two ballistic missiles launched from Wonsan at 3:00 p.m. and 5:50 p.m.
The first missile traveled about 450 km and the second more than 600 km, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
South Korea, Japanese and U.S. foreign ministers met on UN Assembly sidelines to coordinate peninsula peace and denuclearisation.

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