# North Korea tests ballistic missile ahead of US-South Korea drills 2026-08-13T00:06:52+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern coastal Wonsan area on Wednesday morning, its second missile test in less than a week, South Korea’s military said. The missile flew more than 700 km, prompting condemnation from Seoul and Tokyo. Japan said the weapon did not reach its exclusive economic zone. The launch comes two days after South Korea and the United States announced their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises starting August 17, which North Korea calls an invasion rehearsal. Livemint reports that a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson vowed to respond with a “new level of a deterrent” to the drills, and also condemned a US nuclear strategy review as driving a nuclear arms race. North Korea has increased weapons testing since diplomacy with the US collapsed in 2019, and recently strengthened ties with Russia and China. The US and South Korea say their drills are defensive. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - livemint.com Tags: ballistic missile, Kim Jong Un, North Korea, South Korea, UN sanctions, US military drills Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-us-south-korea-drills/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-us-south-korea-drills/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.