# North Korea fires second ballistic missile before drills 2026-08-12T04:25:40+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern Wonsan area early Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The weapon flew more than 700 km before landing in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese authorities confirmed. It is Pyongyang's second reported ballistic missile test in less than a week, coming just days before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises between South Korea and the United States begin on August 17. South Korea's National Security Council condemned the launch as an act of provocation that violates UN Security Council resolutions. Japan also lodged a protest, calling it a serious threat to safety. The latest test follows a short-range ballistic missile launch detected on August 6 by South Korea, the US and Japan. North Korea has not commented on either launch. Experts say the North has historically used such joint exercises as a pretext for weapons testing. ## Coverage - livemint.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: ballistic missile, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, UN resolutions, US military drills Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-before-south-korea-us-drill/ 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-before-south-korea-us-drill/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.