North Korea fired unidentified projectile toward East Sea, South Korea says

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the sea off its east coast on November 4, 2026, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, according to Reuters. The ministry did not say what type of projectile was fired or how far it traveled.

Reuters reported that the launch would be the fourth missile test in about a month. North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests in 2026, including one missile that flew more than 900 kilometers (559 miles) and hypersonic missiles, the report said.

The launch came hours after Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, ruled out dialogue with Washington until the US abandoned what she called its hostile policy, Reuters reported. She also repeated a denial that Pyongyang was behind a hacking at crypto exchange Binance after accusations from the FBI.

Reuters said the launch followed a North Korean media report that Kim Jong Un visited a naval shipyard building a destroyer and stressed the importance of a powerful naval force. Lee Choon-geun, a missile expert and board member at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, told Reuters that frequent tests suggest Pyongyang may be nearing completion of preparations for mass production, potentially including weapons for export to Russia. "Before mass production and deployment, you typically need many tests," Lee said.