North Korea fires missile ahead of US-South Korea drills

On August 11, 2026, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was the second missile launch in less than a week. The launch came ahead of major joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. The projectile was described as unidentified, but was likely a ballistic missile. No further details were immediately available.