North Korea fires barrage of short-range ballistic missiles as US, South Korea, Japan coordinate response

Aug 21, 2026

North Korea fired approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles from Pyongyang on August 20, 2026, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to meet with Kim Jong Un. The launches occurred despite Trump ordering a reduction in joint U.S.-South Korea military drills. Senior diplomats from Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo coordinated responses, while China urged the U.S. to end hostile policies. Meanwhile, South Korea's defense minister estimated Pyongyang holds up to 120 nuclear weapons.

North Korea ballistic missile launches

▪North Korea launched approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at around 5:00 p.m. local time on August 20, 2026.
▪North Korea previously launched a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area on August 12, 2026, which flew approximately 700 kilometers toward the East Sea.
▪The North Korean missiles launched on August 20, 2026, traveled approximately 300 to 320 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of 90 kilometers before landing outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

US-South Korea military drill reduction

▪South Korean President Lee Jae-myung welcomed the reduction of joint military exercises in an August 19, 2026 social media post, calling it a major decision to build peace.
▪U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the scaling back of the annual joint Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise with South Korea, shortening the drills from 11 days to five.

Trump-Kim diplomatic outreach

▪U.S. President Donald Trump announced on August 19, 2026, that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later in 2026.
▪North Korean official Kim Yo Jong stated she was unaware of U.S. President Donald Trump's claim of communication with Kim Jong Un and dismissed the U.S. military drill reduction.

Trilateral coordination response

▪Senior diplomats Baek Yong-jin of South Korea, David Wilezol of the United States, and Takashi Ariyoshi of Japan held telephone consultations on August 21, 2026, to coordinate responses.
▪South Korea's presidential national security council held an emergency meeting following the August 20, 2026 launches and urged North Korea to halt missile tests banned by UN resolutions.

China's Korean Peninsula mediation

▪Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac in Seoul, urging South Korea to maintain strategic autonomy and avoid taking sides.
▪Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that easing Korean Peninsula tensions requires the United States to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea.

North Korea nuclear arsenal estimates

▪South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back noted that South Korea's nuclear estimates differ from U.S. President Donald Trump's assessment that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons.
▪South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated to lawmakers that South Korean research institutes estimate North Korea may possess between 80 and 120 nuclear weapons.