North Korea Tests New Combat Weapon System with Dual Short-Range Missile Launches

On September 20, 2026, North Korea’s Missile Administration launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area, about three hours apart (first at ? 3 p.m., second at ? 5:50 p.m. local time). KCNA said the test was overseen by Kim Jong Un and described it as a “new important combat weapon system” with “ultra-modern” defence technology.

The Straits Times

The launches followed North Korea’s accusation that recent U.S.–South Korea–Japan drills heightened tensions. The foreign ministers of the three countries met on the UN General Assembly sidelines (September 21) to discuss stability and denuclearisation.

UsNews and World Report

• Launch times: ? 3 p.m. and ? 5:50 p.m. (South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff).

CNN

• First missile range: ? 440–450 km.

CNN

• Second missile range: ? 590–> 600 km.

CNN

• Flight profile: KCNA monitor showed a “Hwasongpo-11Ma-1 Flight Trajectory” with a low-altitude pull-up, a trait of hypersonic missiles.

North Korea Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test; Kim Jong-un Calls It 'Incurable Headache for Enemies'

• Presumed type: First missile linked to the Hwasong-11 series.

North Korea Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test; Kim Jong-un Calls It 'Incurable Headache for Enemies'

• Kim Ju-ae (KCNA): accompanied Kim Jong Un to the site.

The Straits Times

• South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff: identified both as short-range ballistic missiles, shared trajectory data with U.S. and Japanese partners, and noted they landed in the East Sea outside Japan’s EEZ.

CNN

• Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi: condemned the launches and lodged a protest through the North Korean embassy in Beijing.

Japan Times

• South Korean Presidential Office: urged Pyongyang to stop launches, citing UN Security Council resolutions.

North Korea launches 2 ballistic missiles, dials up pressure on US

South Korea’s National Security Council called the launches a UN resolution violation and urged an immediate halt, warning of escalation amid trilateral drills.

North Korea launches 2 ballistic missiles, dials up pressure on US

Seoul Railway Station displayed live footage of the September 20 launch, accompanied by a Joint Chiefs of Staff statement on heightened surveillance.

North Korea test-launches ballistic missiles, South Korea and Japan say

• Range figures: South Korean estimates (? 440–450 km and ? 590–> 600 km) differ from KCNA’s total trajectory distance of 908.2 km.

The Straits Times

• Missile classification: While the first missile is presumed Hwasong-11, KCNA’s description of a “new important combat weapon system” and the hypersonic-type profile suggest a possible new variant, leaving the exact model unconfirmed.

North Korea Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test; Kim Jong-un Calls It 'Incurable Headache for Enemies'

• September 12, 2026: Prior short-range missile test.

CNN

• September 20, 2026 (? 3 p.m.): First missile launched (? 440–450 km).

North Korea test-launches ballistic missiles, South Korea and Japan say

• September 20, 2026 (? 5:50 p.m.): Second missile launched (? 590–> 600 km).

North Korea Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test; Kim Jong-un Calls It 'Incurable Headache for Enemies'

• September 21, 2026: Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and the United States meet at the UN General Assembly.

UsNews and World Report

• September 22, 2026: KCNA reports successful test of the “new important combat weapon system.”

The Straits Times