SEOUL, South Korea — On Tuesday, North Korea conducted several missile launches targeting its eastern maritime area, according to the military in South Korea. This action is part of North Korea’s ongoing series of weapons tests in anticipation of Donald Trump’s potential return to the presidency.
The missiles, identified as short-range ballistic types, were launched from a region in the northern part of North Korea and traveled approximately 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) before landing in the waters situated between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
In response to the launches, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff highlighted that the military has bolstered its surveillance efforts and shared details of the missile tests with the United States and Japan. They issued a strong condemnation of the missile launches, labeling them a “clear provocation” that poses a significant threat to the regional peace and stability.
This event marked North Korea’s second missile launch of 2025, following a separate ballistic test that took place the previous week. During the test on January 6, North Korea claimed it was evaluating a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile intended to reach distant targets across the Pacific, with the nation’s leader, Kim Jong Un, reiterating his commitment to enhance the country’s inventory of nuclear-capable weapons as a countermeasure against its adversaries.
The past year has seen North Korea engage in an extensive series of weapons tests, demonstrating advanced military systems in 2024 that included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. homeland, alongside various shorter-range missiles aimed at overcoming South Korean defenses. Observers are particularly concerned that North Korea’s military capabilities might further develop through technological exchanges with Russia, especially as both countries find common ground amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
In a recent year-end political gathering, Kim Jong Un declared his intention to pursue the most stringent anti-U.S. policies and criticized the Biden administration’s initiatives to strengthen alliances with South Korea and Japan—describing this cooperation as a “nuclear military bloc for aggression.”
While North Korean state media did not provide specific details regarding Kim’s strategic plans or make any direct remarks about Trump, it is notable that during Trump’s first term, he held three high-profile meetings with Kim focused on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Should Trump regain the presidency, swift diplomatic overtures towards North Korea remain questionable. Experts point out that Kim’s bolstered position—characterized by an expanded nuclear arsenal, a deepening partnership with Russia, and diminishing enforcement of U.S. sanctions—poses new and complex challenges in addressing the ongoing nuclear impasse.
