North Korea fires ballistic missiles as rival South’s leader visits China

SEOUL – North Korea launched ballistic missiles on Jan 4, the day the leader of rival South Korea starts a state visit to China, Pyongyang’s chief ally, and just hours after the US attacked Venezuela.

The firings of at least two missiles, the country’s first in two months, further heighten global tensions after US President Donald Trump launched the attack that

captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

.

North Korea strongly denounced the US action as “the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty”, state news agency KCNA said on Jan 4.

“The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the United States,” KCNA said, citing a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

The North launched its missiles hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung began a state visit to China on Jan 4 in the hope of promoting peace on the Korean peninsula during a summit with his counterpart Xi Jinping.

Professor Lim Eul-chul from the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul said the launches from the capital Pyongyang into the sea between the Koreas and Japan represent “a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China’s stance on denuclearisation”.

North Korea signals ‘we are different from Venezuela’

Prof Lim said North Korea also wanted to send a message that “we are different from Venezuela”, and that as a nuclear and military power, it was ready to respond with “aggressive deterrence”.

Yonsei University visiting professor Bong Youngshik said: “After seeing what’s happening in Venezuela right now, the person who would be most afraid is (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un.”

Seoul and Tokyo criticised the missile launches.

South Korea’s presidential office said it had held an emergency security meeting and urged North Korea to cease “provocative acts that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions”.

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the launches threaten the peace and security of the neighbouring country, the region and the international community. “Our government lodged a strong protest with North Korea and strongly condemned it,” he said in a statement.

US forces for the Indo-Pacific said in a statement that “this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies”, adding that the US was consulting closely with its allies and partners.

Kim Jong Un flexing military muscles before party Congress

The missiles, launched around 7.50am local time (6.50am Singapore time), flew about 900km, South Korea’s military said. Japan said there were at least two missiles that flew about 900km and 950km.

The last time Pyongyang tested a ballistic missile was on Nov 7, 2025.

On Jan 3, Mr Kim called for the production capacity of tactical guided weapons to more than double during a visit to a munitions factory, North Korea’s state media reported.

In recent weeks, he has made a series of visits to factories that build weapons, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of the 2026 Ninth Party Congress of the Workers’ Party to set out major policy goals.

South Korea expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula, said Mr Wi Sung-lac, Mr Lee’s security adviser, without elaborating on details of the summit agenda.

Mr Lee’s agenda with Mr Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts say, at a time when North Korea has dismissed an outreach from Mr Lee, who took office seven months ago. REUTERS